The Countdown To Stress.

Hello, all. It has been twelve days since my last entry, and I'll tell you why. School. With only a week and a half left, I've had to focus on finishing papers, making up work, and studying for any upcoming finals. So far, my attempt to do so has been only slightly above mediocre. This is the invitation to stress. I despise that school ends in such wonderful weather. It's the type of weather that makes you want to put aside your troubles and worries and just relax. This warm, cozy weather drives me to do the things I enjoy, like play basketball, or sit out in the sun and play my guitar, or converse with friends. It does not motivate me to sit inside and stare at a screen typing aimlessly away on little buttons on a small panel as words appear on the previously mentioned screen, much less do so for two hours in order to complete a four page paper. Why can't school end in February or March? I think it's because torcher is embedded in the whole idea of school. Sacrifice is necessary, though. And despite the fact that I lose the day that I would otherwise so thoroughly enjoy, there will be others. Kristine has been a wonderful motivator, too. She pushes me to do my best and complete the work necessary to excel in my classes. I, of all people, need that. Thank God that He put me with someone who will accept that task, however aggrivating it may be at times. Also, thank God that I will survive these next few days of school, whatever may happen, and come to the point of enjoying the beauty He so elegantly portrays through His creation. That's it for today. Obvioulsy I need to get to work. Until next time, (wait for it) ......................stay tuned.

Addition and subtraction

To any and all who pay attention to my links on the sidebar of my blog, you should notice a couple of changes. First, I have removed the John Mayer Trio link due to the fact that it has never changed and there is little interesting info on that particular site. Also, due to the fact that he's one of the greatest Christian artists (and one of my favorite artists), I have added a Chris Rice link. I feel that this is a necessary and deserving change to the links section of my blog. I also suggest that anyone who reads my blog check out the Chris Rice site and learn more about his "much anticipated" greeting cards. Anyone who feels the need to strongly oppose these changes I have made is more than welcome to leave a comment on my blog, and I will be more than glad to read it and ignore its content. I thank you for taking the time to read this most unnecessary blog and hope to compose to you again soon, so stay tuned (hopefully to a more interesting entry).

Offspring everywhere...

A few days more than ten months ago our neighbors brought home a baby boy-- David Shawn Standridge II. Not long after that time Josh and Erin Allen brought little Camrynne into the world. Since then, another neighbor of ours, the Hernandez family, had a baby boy, our youth pastor (Tim and Jennifer Raburn) had a baby boy, the Duncans, another neighboring family that moved in just a few days after Kristine and I, gave birth to Aiden Duncan two days ago, and the Vigils (yet more neighbors in our apt. complex) had a baby girl just today. Derrick and Debbie Waldrep are expecting in the not to distant future, as are John and Dawn Chambers. So, my point? Babies are everywhere! We can't get away from it. Kristine and I are not yet expecting, however. This is a bittersweet feeling. Though financially affording to have a small, completely dependent infant that eats, sleeps, and poops around the clock would be an added burden, having a child is something Kristine and I both desperately desire to have someday. All we can do is be patient and let God do what he does best. He knows the right time. I suppose all we can do for the time being is enjoy the presence of the little ones surrounding us now, and thank God that we can be a part of that. Well, enough baby babble. Stay tuned.

Taxes.

Hey, all! Well, it's April 3rd and everyone knows what time of year is quickly approaching--it's "TAX TIME!" (imagine it being said with a deep baritone announcer voice that echoes and fades out.) Kristine and I just finished doing our taxes and are looking forward to ridding ourselves of this burden known as tax time. We are still waiting in anticipation for something drastic to happen in our lives, and yet don't have any idea whether anything really will happen. It really takes us relying solely on God. As far as everyone else is concerned, Mandy and Andy had to cancel their plans of going to Bolivia due to air strikes and such, Mom, Dad, and Timothy are in the middle of hosting a few guests for revival, David is back in West Virginia after visiting with family (Dan, Karlie, and Maciah), and Josh, Erin, and Camrynne Allen seem to be doing well as far as I know. Ironically, almost everyone (if not everyone) reading this already knows this information due to the fact that they are the very people that read this blog, but c'est la vie. Anywho, I hope all are doing well. At this time I must resign my post (pun intended) in order to assist in planning a trip this weekend to the Memphis Zoo, so as always, stay tuned.

Briefly Back.

Sorry, yet again, for the long blogging drought. Much has happened since the last time I blogged, so prepare yourselves. First off, I don't know how much I'll be blogging due to the condition my computer's in (I'm using a neighbor's lappy for the time being). I have had it checked out, but the guy who looked at it couldn't do a complete check-up with the time alauded. Also, as far as the Noblesville thing is concerned, I have no clue what is to come of it. Kristine and I are just praying and waiting for God to lead us wherever it is He wants us. Most recently, our good neighbors (not State Farm) have done well taking care of us. Kristine and I have both been struggling with sickness and are still trying to get past it. We are also contemplating getting a new vehicle and even looked seriously into it, but that fell apart, so long live the Monte Carlo and Kia Sephia. Right now I'm attempting to enjoy the usually anticipated spring break, but with nowhere to go, Kristine working all week, and nothing much to do around the apt., I've been bored more than anything else. Anywho, now that you've all been caught up in my ever-so-thrilling life, I'll call it a blog and go. Who knows when I'll be blogging next? Pray for us concerning the information mentioned above, and in case I do blog again, stay tuned.

Back home again in Indiana

Hey everyone! This one's gonna be short and sweet due to stomach aches, lack of sleep and long hours in a small, green Kia Sephia. Kristine and I are in Anderson, IN with my parents who graciously lodged us for the weekend while we visit Bethel Baptist Church in Noblesville in an attempt to prove to be a worthy candidate as a youth pastor. We both ask that you pray for us, that God's will be done in this situation. We don't want to go where He doesn't want us, but we do want to be wherever it is that He does want us. As a side note, I finally got the opportunity to play basketball with some people of my own age for the first time in months! I was thrilled, and to make things better, I did pretty well. Thanks to Tim (my bro), Derek Waldrep, Josh Allen, and Mark Hendrick for playing with me. Well, that's all for now, cause I'm too tired to think of anything else to write, so stay tuned.

It's been a while.

I know it's been a while since I last blogged, but I have a wonderful excuse-- I have not had access to the internet almost since the last time I did blog. Now that I do, I gladly and joyfully return to the world of web journals. To catch you up with what's been going on over the past three weeks will take much longer than any of you would care to read, so I suppose I'll summarize. First of all, we (as in Kristine and I) will be going to Noblesville, IN by request of Bethel Baptist Church and their pastor, Mark Lowe who are in search for a Youth Pastor. We'll be there through the 13th of March before returning to Baptist Central, AR. As far as Kristine, she's been staying busy with work. . . tired but still enjoying it. We also are housing David Gregg, my brother-in-law, who is accompanying me at the Macedonian Mission Conference. As far as keeping up with friends and family, Timothy is supposed to be organizing a b-ball game for when I come up and David "Superman" Story is in California meeting people such as Jeff Goldblum. Amanda seems to be doing well (according to her blog) and her good friend Mary has recently experienced growing another year older. . . Happy Birthday, Mary (even though you probably don't read this)! Josh and Erin are doing well and we can't wait to see them and Camrynne again. Mom and Dad seem to be doing well, and the school also seems to be making much progress. I believe that's all for now, but before signing off, I'll quote John Mayer-"I don't need another kind of green to know I'm on the right side with you." Stay tuned.

A way with words.

I've noticed quite often that I attempt to look and sound smarter than I am when I write. Many times I'll use a more extensive vocabulary in writing than I do when I am in simple conversation with someone. Also, I focus a lot more on being grammatically correct when I write than I do when I speak. Oh, and spelling. . .I can hardly stand incorrect spelling when I read or write something, and if I'm unsure about the spelling I most definitely have to check it, correcting it if need be. I believe the reason for this obsessive compulsion is due to the fact that written words are more immortalized than spoken words. Written words are (or can be) recorded to last forever, or close to it. Written words are also more easily remembered in most cases, and more often quoted. Does this mean I have a desire to be immortalized? If so, is that a bad thing? After all, nothing in this world compares to what God has in store. The answer, ironically, is not yes or no, but I already am immortalized in Him. I've already been guaranteed everlasting life with Him. So what does it matter if I write using correct grammar or spelling? Nothing more than to impress those on this earth, which isn't really necessary. I guess it's just a satisfaction to use that with which I have been educated in its proper manner. An expression of intelligence isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it is good to express that which we have learned. I've just got to remember that my intellect is mere stupidity compared to the Omniscience of God, and not let myself become arrogant to the point of forgetting to keep my focus on Him. He is my rock and my salvation. I must keep my faith in Him and continue to trust Him with my life. Who knows what the Almighty has in store for me and my family? Only He does. Well, that's it for now. There's more to come, so stay tuned.

My bride.

My closest friend here on earth. I love you, Kristine!

It's all Greek to me.

I recently just recovered from Greek class. I'm in my second semester of Greek, and have learned, more than anything, that I don't know Greek. I know the alphabet, the sounds of each of the letters and diphthongs, and certain vocab words. I am even starting to learn (slowly, but surely) the declensions and tenses of Greek. To be quite honest, though, Greek to me has only one tense. . . the "in" tense. It causes me to be tense. Really, that's all Greek consists of besides utter confusion. Those are the ingredients to Greek: Cool, completely different alphabet; tension which ironically involves tenses; and confusion. As long as you have the Greek alphabet down, just get really tense and confused and there you have it! You now know Greek (at least as well as I do). Well, enough venting for now. I'll write again soon, so stay tuned.

"God Is a Wild Man."

It amazes me that Someone so out of the ordinary chooses to use the ordinary (which may be why it's out of the ordinary). Kristine and I both started to feel that God was about to do something big in our lives. . . still do. I know feelings aren't everything to base anything on, so we've also been studying the Bible and praying, just looking for any guidance we can get. Both of us started feeling this way though, without any influence from the other. God's wierd like that. We still don't know exactly what it is, if anything, but we do know what we want-- to do whatever it is that He's got in store. It's scary and exciting to know all the potential and possibilities that are before us, and we know we've just got to look to God in whatever it is we do. We also know that God will use us wherever we are, because He's with us. It's the person, not the place (great words of advice, Dan). However, if He has a different place for us to serve, that's where we want to be. I guess what I'm trying to get at is pray for us; pray that in whatever it is that God has for us, we will willfully and joyfully follow. And pray that we will see clearly what and where it is that He would have us serve. The end for now, and as Timothy says (I seem to quote him a lot), "Much love." Stay tuned.

The brilliant frustation

So, it's Wednesday. I'm a bit on edge due to having the responsibility to teach the teen class tonight at church. Also, Kristine is still sick, and hating it. She went to the doctor yesterday to receive the diagnosis-- a sinus infection. So she was given some antibiotics and cough medicine, and is doing whatever she can to recover and get back to work. The brilliant frustration of mine is basketball. . . and the fact that I haven't been able to play a game with someone of my calibur or better since Early last year. What makes it worse is hearing and reading about it, not only of pro and college basketball, but from close friends and family. David goes weekly to play with people his age or older, and Timothy played for the first time in a long time on Saturday. Both have eagerly let me know how much they enjoy it. I would love to play with some people taller than 4 1/2 feet tall that can actually compete with me. Oh, well. . . I guess that just proves my love for the game. It's like an unreachable itch. I'm almost to the point where I can't stand it. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a bit longer. I guess that's all I've got for now. Continue to keep us in your prayers, and stay tuned.

A cold kinda day.

Well, today is the kind of day where you just want to sit (or lay) around sipping hot cocoa and watching TV. . . . or catching up on it, as Timothy put it. It's cold, somewhat miserable-looking outside, and Kristine topped it off with having a cold of her own. Yup, as miserable as it may look outside, Kristine feels just as miserable, coughing and having a sore throat since early this morning. We did manage to make it to Sunday School this morning, but this evening didn't work out so well. We've taken the time to rest, especially since Kristine has to work in the morning. She gets off at 11:45, though, so she'll hopefully take the afternoon to recuperate. Aside from the weather and Kristine being under the weather, though, everything seems to be good with this Woodring family. Oh, and kudos to Tim for the 33% from the arc and the frawesome moves on the court. Well, I guess that's all for now. Keep us in your prayers. I gotta hankerin' for something sweet. . . . stay tuned.

Snow is cold.

Hey, few people who actually read this! I'm only blogging today because 1) I have nothing more to do on a cold snowy day, and 2) I'm trying to discipline myself in keeping up with my blog. If you're squinting and rubbing your eyes to make sure you read right, you did....It's snowing in Arkansas! And it is unbearably cold. I hate the cold. I've prayed on many occasions that God change the snow to warm, but that's yet to happen. Yesterday was good, but nothing too wonderful worth blogging about that I can think of. Today, though, Kristine was off work, so we took the day together to simply hang out....one of my favorite things to do. It's so good just to be able to have fun and relax with her. We have so many laughs and so much fun on days like these. Right now, we're just chillin' out with a neighbor of ours, and watching our next-door-neighbor's baby-- the sequel(David S. Standridge II). Anywho, besides stalling to do dishes and enjoying the day off, there isn't much else going on. With that being said, I guess I can end with thanks for reading, and stay tuned.

Jonathan 

Getting started....

Hey, everyone! I, too, am jumping into this whole 'blog' trend....I don't really know why, but it just seems fun. Since the day is also "just getting started", I'll just summarize yesterday's activities: they were great! (Well, for the most part) Work was about the only thing that I could've gone without yesterday, though that's usually not the case. As I was getting ready for school yesterday, I noticed our rent bill sitting on our recliner. I opened it to see the damage and, lo and behold, we were in the POSITIVE over $250! Someone anonymously paid for our rent (which we were behind slightly, but catching up) $1,387.87. I don't know who or how it was done, but it is a tremendous blessing! God definetly had his hand in it. Oh, and if whoever helped so graciously is reading this, I could never thank you enough for it. Also, when I arrived at school, I walked into class just to find everyone getting ready to leave, including the prof. They had decided, not only to follow Jesus, but also to go to a cozy little diner for breakfast. Awesome! The rest of the day couldn't (and didn't) go bad after all of that. Thank God for blessing us the way He does so many times. Well, I'm done for now. I'll do what I can to keep this up, so stay tuned!