MyLife

Not Quite Goodbye...

2011-01-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Since my last post, I have been meaning to post again, but I never could get around to it. Then I asked myself the question, "Why haven't I posted?" Well, my life isn't exactly "boring"... it's actually quite busy. But my life isn't something that is worth blogging about. Then I realized that I needed to change directions with my blog. So, here's the deal: I'm starting a completely new blog, which will hopefully be better and more interesting. And, it will be pretty much all about music.
So, this isn't quite goodbye. It's just a change in... uh... URLs. Haha...
Thanks for sticking around with this blog for so long! Here's the new link: jonmmusic.blogspot.com
See you on the other side,
Jon M.

Back from NY...

2010-06-11T12:47:00.003-04:00

HEY! I would have posted sooner, but wow! This summer seems busier than the normal school year... yeah, that's kind of a creepy thought! lol.
So, about New York: it was "absolutely-without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt" amazing! Here's some highlights:

1.) I got the privilege to meet and talk with the following people:

Bruce Broughton: he composed to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Fransisco, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, The Rescuers Down Under, Bambi II, Silverado, and my all-time-favorite-cartoon-movie: Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. :D We didn't get to talk a lot, but he was (supposedly) shocked to find out I was 16. lol, I'm surprised he was surprised, because I DEFINITELY don't look 25... but, he was great. I got to ask him one question: "Did you really compose to Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers?!?!" He looked at me like, who is this person, why is he talking to me, and how did he know that? But, he said he did, and it totally made my day. I love that movie, so getting to talk to him was great...
Ira Newborn: he composed the music to Angels in the Infield and Uncle Buck. I asked him, "If there is any advice you could give to me concerning music, what would it be?" Since his original response involved a cuss word, here is a revised version of it: "Work as hard as you can." Well, I guess I have the whole summer to do that... lol.
Mark Snow: he composed the music to The X-Files. I got to meet with him last year a lot, and he is awesome. He met with me again this time, and let me do a "show-and-tell" with all my music. His favorite song was "Ranger's Apprentice". :D

2.) I got to compose to a video clip AND conduct a mini orchestra! This video clip is from a movie called Accepted. (I CAN'T RECOMMEND watching the movie because I haven't seen it). In the clip, there is something in the background that is very crude, so I took it out. Now it's squeaky clean! lol. YouTube won't let me embed it here for some odd reason, so here's the link.
And, here's a video my mom took of me conducting: (my mom had to be there because I'm not "old enough to stay on campus by myself without a chaperone"...)

3.) And, of course, I got to take a couple of pics of...

...the subway...

...a cool sunset...

...and of course, Times Square. Yes, there are TONS of people.

4.) OK, this is random. Across the street from our hotel, there was a door on a building that was EIGHT STORIES ABOVE GROUND WITH NO STAIRWAY.

Can you say random? And dangerous??? lol... that is definitely the quickest was to the street... and to heaven...
Also, here's another random pic. While walking to the NYU building everyday, I saw this building sign, and had to take a picture:

It reminded me of the Disney show, "Wizards of Waverly Place"... :D

5.) I got to see four shows: In the Heights (with Corbin Bleu! I honestly didn't know he could sing...), West Side Story (I saw two of the main actors randomly near Times Square days after seeing the show... it was awesome!), 39 Steps (that was a really funny show...), and of course, The Phantom of the Opera.

And, that's about it! Thanks for reading/listening!
JonM
P. S. My dogs went to the vet a couple of days ago, and I made this video of it. (My sister was kind enough to film it for me...) Yes, it's cheesy. :D

Blogging at 32,000ft:

2010-05-17T11:41:00.001-04:00

Thanks to AirTran, I can now blog at about 32,000 feet in the air! Wow...
So, when the pilot first came on the speaker, he was telling everyone something, and at the end of each sentence, he played the harmonica. And then, at the very end of his speech, he played about fifteen seconds worth of solo harmonica. It was very intense. We all clapped at the end. And then, he came back on the speaker after take-off talking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and at the very end, he said, "I'll be baaaaaaackkkkk..." Very strange. My response to that was, "Where are you going?!?!" :D
Here's a view out my window:

So, after I put the link to my website on my last post, there have been a lot of people visiting it! Here's a map of everyone who's visited:

I saw that, and wanted to post it. Kind-of cool to see where everyone is from...

Before I go, I wanted to share in the excitement of the release of the first The Voyage of the Dawn Treader poster!

I. Can't. Wait!!!
I'll post more soon...
Jon M.

It's Been a While, Hasn't It?

2010-05-15T19:31:00.008-04:00

Hey guys! It has been WAY to long since my last post...
So, here's an update of my life:
1.) I now have an official music website, but it still needs some work (like, a lot of work...). But let me know what you think!
2.) I have finished composing music to a book trailer for author Jacob R. Parker, who has written a book entitled Kestrel's Midnight Song.

3.) My music is on Robert Liparulo's new site for his "Dreamhouse Series"! It is near the middle of the page"soundtrack page". Let me know what you think!
4.) I am going to New York again! God is so amazing, because He has made everything about the trip possible. Like; getting a hotel, a place for me to print my music, and even getting a scholarship to the camp I'm going to. So, while I'm in New York, I will go to a college's "film-scoring workshop" where I will be able to meet some relatively-famous film composers (but sadly, not Hans Zimmer... lol), compose to a film-clip from a movie, and have it played by a real orchestra. I will actually get to conduct the orchestra, so I am a little nervous. But, I can't wait! So, prayer is greatly appreciated (especially because my hands get shaky when I get nervous, so that makes it slightly hard to conduct... lol).
That's about it... I am hoping to post a small post everyday while I'm in New York. (Or, almost everyday...) It depends on how much free time I have.
Thanks for reading/listening!
Jon M.

Alice in Blunderland...

2010-03-08T11:26:00.005-05:00

I was really excited to see Alice in Wonderland. I knew about the movie at least a year ago (before any of the publicity), and then in July '09, I saw the trailer the day it came out. So, three days ago, I was running into the theater (right after school let out) to go see this movie. What I saw was a disappointment.

The thing that made this movie terrible was the plot. Everything else was fine:

the actors (Anne Hathaway was hilarious, Johnny Depp was as crazy as ever, and Helena Bonham Carter did a great job screaming "off with their head!!!").
the music (a little similar to Danny Elfman's last score for Tim Burton's film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but that is understandable).
the costuming (amazing... absolutely stunning).
the animation (it was obviously fake, but it was still amazing/whimsical looking).

The plot was supposed to be:
"Burton's new movie features a 19 year-old Alice who's forgotten all about the Wonderland (or Underland, as Burton rechristens it) of her childhood, preparing for her engagement to a wealthy young lord. Panicking at the moment of truth, Alice flees into the woods, falls down a rabbit hole, and finds herself in a strange world that remembers her, even if she doesn't remember it. A prophetic scroll reveals that Alice is fated to become the savior of Underland, slaying a terrible beast of legend and freeing the land of the Red Queen's tyranny." (taken from kotaku.com)

So, in a way, this movie sounds like it has a plot, right? Sorry, but no.
Just a warning: if you go see this movie, don't expect anything "plot-wise". There will be no "twists or turns" in the story. Instead, look at the costumes, the animation, and listen to the music. Then, you might get something from it.

One more note: it was officially "Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar." OK, REALLY?!?! Yes, really...

My Music Is On YouTube!

2010-02-19T22:38:00.002-05:00

Hey! So, I composed some music to a "book trailer" for Curse of the Spider King. Let me know what you think! (And, btw, I know that me saying "My Music is on YouTube" isn't that exciting for some people (because they post videos all the time), but it's the first time for me, so it's relatively exciting for me... lol).

Also, I was taking pictures, and I got a really cool shot of my brother's harp:

Idk... it's definitely a different perspective.
Everyone have a great weekend!
Jon M.

Book Signing!

2010-02-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

So, today, I went to a book signing for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. To be honest, I haven't read the series, because I think it has a little too much magic/Roman-god stuff in it for my liking. But, I went because, instead of the author signing books, it was the three main actors from the upcoming film, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief. They are: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson. The only reason I went was to get Logan Lerman's autograph. Why? Well, have you ever seen the movie Hoot? If not, it's a great movie. Logan Lerman played the main character in the movie (Roy Eberhardt). Hoot, which is also a book, is pretty good. What I really wanted was for Logan Lerman to sign my copy of Hoot. I was very blessed because I did get it signed. It was crazy, because of all the people, but I I was able to get him to sign it, and that's all I wanted. I did feel bad though, because the other two actors didn't have anything to sign (they just kind of looked at me and said "hey", like "so... you don't want us to sign anything?"). But it was fine, because I'm sure they didn't mind not signing anything. lol. Here's some pics!

Logan Lerman:

Alexandra Daddario:

Brandon T. Jackson and Logan Lerman:

And, a pic of my book, signed by Logan Lerman!

The pics are terrible, but at least you can recognize the people...

Well, that was my Saturday. Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll post more soon!

Jon M.

P.S. He (Logan Lerman) shook my hand! When I first watched Hoot, I would have never had thought that I would one day shake his hand... who knew!

Proud SAT Survivor

2010-01-23T14:58:00.001-05:00

I am a proud survivor of the SAT! After 5 hours of pure, heartless torture testing, my brain has officially transformed into macaroni. I think I did OK, but with the SAT, you can never tell. I can definitely say one thing: the SAT sure knows how to put the "sat" in "saturday"...
Anywho, the song is coming together well. I have upgraded my software (yay!), so I'm just getting used to it. I almost have the first song done, and I'm getting overloaded (in a good way) with many more ideas for songs to come. Can't wait to share the songs with you guys!
So, I drove myself to take the SAT. I realize as I enter in the building, I forgot my watch (yikes!). There was no time to go back and get one at my house, so I walk into the testing room, sit down, and hear the ticking of a clock very close to me. I got very excited, and looked up at the wall to see if a clock was really there, and this is what I saw:

I had two reactions:
I care!!! A lot!!!
Wow... that's a big help...
Thankfully, there was another clock, but I could barely see it. But, everything worked out OK.
Well, I'm off to compose. Have a great weekend everyone!
Jon M.

Update on the "Update on Life":

2010-01-16T16:40:00.001-05:00

So, I was really nervous (yeah, of course) on how I would do on some practice SAT homework. Last time I did some practice, I got 3 out of 11 right. Yeah, OUCH. So, I spent about an hour today doing two Critical Reading sections, and guess what? I got 14 out of 15 right on one, and 17 out of 20 right on the other. I was so surprised! Thanks whoever prayed for me! It's definitely working! lol.
Today, I'm going to go start composing the first song for Curse of the Spider King. I can't wait to share it! And, btw, I have an official deadline now: February 28th. Why that date? Well, it's complicated, but basically, I'm in this contest for Curse of the Spider King, and everything that you complete relating to the book is due on March 1st. So, I subtracted two days to be on the safe-side, and that is my deadline.
Have a great weekend!
Jon

Update on Life...

2010-01-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

Hey, so on Amazon, they raised the price of Curse of the Spider King back to normal. Whoops! lol.
If you guys could pray for me, that would be great. I have to take the SAT on the 23rd (yikes!) and a lot depends on how I do on the test. And plus, I get extremely nervous. Easily. In fact, I'm trying to conquer getting nervous, but it's not working very well. I did a speech in one of my college classes a couple of days ago, and it failed. Seriously. lol, oh well.
Thanks! Have a great weekend!
Jon
P.S. Once the 23rd is out of the way, I will be able to really start working on my project for Curse of the Spider King, and I'll be able to set a deadline. Trust me, it will be cool.

The Idea:

2010-01-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

Hey! So, I have a crazy idea. I've been reading Curse of the Spider King, and music ideas have been rushing through my head, and I really want to get them out for everyone to hear. So here is my idea: compile all of the themes I'm hearing, and make "an album". Like, a legit album. Maybe twenty songs. But, there has to be a deadline. I don't know what I'll make the deadline date, but I'll think up something. What do you think? Would you be interested in listening? Giving advice to me as I will surely hit writer's block??? Let me know!
Jon
P.S. Curse of the Spider King is now $9.78 on Amazon... so, if you want to read it, now would be the time to get it.

Snow Day!

2010-01-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

It is definitely a snow day here in Atlanta! I got some pics of our lake:

My brother broke the ice with a canoe oar to see how thick it was. About 1.5 inches! Not enough to skate on or anything though...

Here's one of my driveway:

And then here's one of Pepper in the cold wind, trying to decide, "Will I go down into the yard?" lol:

Have a great day everyone! And let me know what you think of the African song when you get a chance, because I'd love some advice!
Jon M.
P.S. In the picture with Pepper, to the right, next to the railing, you can see a miniature archway with what looks like colorful plankton growing on the side. That is actually something that goes in our fish tank as decoration, but we left it outside accidentally. I should probably go get it... lol, just in case you were wondering, that's what that is!

Snow and Books...

2010-01-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

It's snowing here and school is officially called off for me! Yes! lol. So I guess tomorrow, I'll work on the "African Desert" song, and probably read some.
I wanted to share with you guys this awesome deal on Amazon: Robert Liparulo, an amazing author, has a series called Dreamhouse Kings Series. The first book, House of Dark Shadows, is on Amazon for bargain price (link). If you want to read a new series that is amazing, this is a series to look into. I actually composed some music for it, and it should be on Robert Liparulo's Website soon. It isn't on there right now, but as soon as it is, I'll let you know.
Have a great weekend!

Jon

DUMA

2010-01-05T19:07:00.007-05:00

Hey, I just watched the most awesome movie ever! It's called Duma... I don't know why I liked it so much though. Maybe it's the "deep down inside of me" longing for adventure that made me and the movie click. Or something crazy like that. Now, here is something crazy, especially for me to say: I think it might have been better than movies for Narnia. If your in shock, sorry, but it's true. I got the soundtrack, and it has inspired me to write an African song... so I started, but the flute in the software wasn't sounding to great. So, I recorded myself playing the flute. I did it with a "wooden flute head-joint". Not a lot of people know that there is such a thing. Here's a picture of mine:

Basically, a wooden flute head-joint is like a normal silver head-joint for the flute, except it's wooden. Wow, that was complicated... not. lol. The clip of music that you can hear is only about a minute because I don't want to spoil the whole song. Please please PLEASE let me know what you think! Link to song. Btw, the song isn't finalized or anything... this version is just a rough draft.

So, here's some random stuff:

I was taking a picture of my dog, and I didn't realize the flash was on. Oops! Oh well, he was practically blind to begin with... lol, seriously, just kidding.

Our lake froze over. Again. It is freezing here in Atlanta. Well, for us, that is. 16 degrees Fahrenheit is nothing for some people.

I'll post some more later...

Jon M.

Music:

2009-12-29T23:30:00.011-05:00

Hey guys! I've decided to blog some of my music. I hate to say this, but I have to: the songs are copyrighted by me. Sorry!

1.) Ranger's Apprentice (this song is for the book series Ranger's Apprentice). You can listen to it on the side bar, or download it from my website...

2.) Curse of the Spider King Theme (this song is for Wayne Thomas Batson's and Christopher Hopper's new book Curse of the Spider King). You can listen to it in the side bar. Wayne Thomas Batson has written The Door Within, The Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire, and Christopher Hopper has written The Rise of the Dibor, The Lion Vrie, and Athera's Dawn. (Link to Mr. Batson's Blog and link to Mr. Hopper's Website and link to the Curse of the Spider King's Website.) There are two versions of this song, and the other version should be in the book trailer for Curse of the Spider King.)

I hope you like the songs! I'll have more to post soon...

Have a great New Year's Day!

Jon M.

Ring of Fire:

2009-12-27T12:40:00.002-05:00

So, I got a bunch of new books for Christmas (yay!) and I decided I would review them. I just finished reading Ring of Fire. Here is what it says on the back of the book: "Every Hundred Years, humankind is put to the test. Every hundred years, four young people must take on an enormous challenge. Another century has passed, and the children have been chosen. The challenge begins in Rome, the city of fire." It sounded really good, and I was really excited to read it. But, in reality, it was a let down.

1.) The book was translated, and all the verbs were weird. Like, usually, a book is past tense. So, it would be like, "she said" or "he replied". But no in this book. It was "she says" and "he replies". It was very distracting.

2.) There is occasional cussing in the book. From what I remember, about six instances.

3.) There is a gypsy that does palm reading, and in the book, it was "real". It was very odd.

4.) In the book, the characters come across a map (of Rome) and four tops ("tops" being the ones people can spin on a flat surface). The characters spin the tops on the map, and, depending on what the top is, it will tell you about the place. So, the book takes place in Rome. The characters spin the tops, and the top that means "danger", circles around the part in Rome that is dangerous. The top that means "safe" circles around the part that is safe. Etc. In a way, that seems like witchcraft or something...

5.) In the book, one of the people say that the wisemen in the Bible used the map and tops to find Jesus. And that they followed a comet. Seriously? Yes, seriously... What I was excited about though was that the author didn't say "three wisemen", like so many people do. We don't know if there were three! There were three gifts, not three wisemen. Good for the author! lol.

So, I give this book .5 bookmarks. Why ".5" and not "0"? Because I actually finished the book... lol, I rarely finish books, so when I do, it's a miracle. A lot of my friends can vouch for me.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T09:25:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great day. I found a really funny recording of the song Sleigh Ride. It's called Sleigh Rough. lol, it cracks me up!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas day! Well, as Dickens said: "God bless us, everyone!"

Narcoleptic Dogs & Fainting Goats? Yes...

2009-11-16T13:17:00.002-05:00

So, I found these hilarious videos... well, they were funny to me, but if you're an animal lover, I'm sorry... : D

Pictures:

2009-11-08T12:18:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! On Me Myself and I, Siminy posted about a contest on "Looking Through the Lens". Here are the rules:

Theme: Seasons

Categories: Spring, Summer, Fall and/or Winter

The picture can be of anything you like (portrait, landscape, still life). But it simply must say it's season. And it must tickle my fancy. :c)
You may enter up to one (1) picture for each category.
Pictures may be edited.
Pictures may have the authors signature or watermark on it.
It may be color or black & white.
There will be one (1) winner for each category.
Winners will have their pictures posted on Looking Through The Lens blog, and have their blog linked to.
Please post your submissions on your own blog, and comment here to enter.

Deadline: November 10th 2009

So, even though it is rather late notice, I decided to enter! Here are the pictures:

Spring:

Summer:

Fall:

Winter: (it's a frozen lake)

Hope everyone likes them!

Have a great Sunday!

Jon

Oct. 26th:

2009-10-26T13:47:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! So last night, I had a surprise birthday party, and wow I was surprised! It was awesome. My parents went ahead and gave me the present there were going to give me later. It was a microphone, that's really high-tech, and I still haven't figured it out... but I know it records amazingly! Then also (this is cool) I got a voice editing software, so I could make anyone sing perfect pitch. The software is complicated, but I can't wait to try it! I'm probably the only guy in the world who gets a microphone for his 16th birthday and says, "Cool, just what I wanted! Thanks!" lol. That just shows how devoted I am to music...

This is so opposite of my last post, but I had to post this video. Does anyone know who Carol Burnett is? If not, she's a hilarious comedian who is flat out crazy. Anyways, I found this skit she did, and I was laughing so hard!

Airplane to Narnia:

2009-10-22T19:42:00.011-04:00

Mexico was unbelievable. In a way, it feels like a dream, because of how quick it went. I'll write the highlights below:

It was my first mission trip ever, so that in itself made it special.
Here's a picture of a cloud on the flight to Mexico. Doesn't it look like a mushroom?!?!
The next morning, I was greeted with mountains looming on each side of me. It was truly an awesome site.
There was an orphanage called Douglas that we served at on Saturday, and I will never forget it. A lot of things happened there, but I'll probably only share a few things. One of things that was cool was they had a concrete slide. Yes, let me repeat, a concrete slide. That did not require in cardboard. Or carpet. It was pretty cool Here's a pic:

Also, the church at Douglas is up on a hill (near the top of the slide. So yes, you could technically get out of church, jump through a window, and slide down the hill.) Anyways, on Sunday, we went back to Douglas, and we worshipped at this church. It was interesting, because I had never heard a sermon that used a translator. What was also cool was the view out the window. Here's two pics:

On Monday, we went and painted at an orphanage, and we also met pureNRG that day, but I didn't get any pictures. Do any of you know who pureNRG are? If not, they are a pop-singing group around my age, and they came down to Mexico to help us out with the orphans. It was fun to get to know them, and to see them perform up close. I had seen them at "Winter Jam" which toured and came to Atlanta, but when I was watching them at Winter Jam, I would never have thought in a million years that I would meet them in person. It was really cool. During the concert, they had to use a translator, which was very neat. It made me see that to worship God, you don't have to speak a certain language.
Short story: on the first day at Douglas, my brother Michael and I were playing with the orphans, and one of them asked what my brother's name was. He said Michael, and the kid replied, "Jackson?" Me an Michael looked at each other, puzzled. Michael looked back at the kid, and said, "No, Michael." And the kid replied, "Michael Jackson!" Me and Michael looked at each other and burst out laughing. The kid began to jump around and skip, smiling and laughing saying, "Michael Jackson!" It was very funny. Michael was called Michael Jackson the rest of our time there at Douglas by the kids. What was really funny, was on the last day, the kids were sitting all around us, and one of the kids asked another kid something in Spanish, and then pointed upward. Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish, so I didn't know what he had asked. The other kid replied "No..." and then pointed downward. The other kid laughed and then said, "Michael Jackson," and pointed down. I realized they had been arguing over where the real Michael Jackson went. I guess I didn't have to speak Spanish after all! lol. Here are the two kids that me and Michael "adopted" for the time we were there (Michael's kids is on the right, my kid is on the left):

The first part of Tuesday (the last day) was very humbling. We went to a village on a river, and on the bank of the river, there wass trash. EVERYWHERE. The kids that live there hunt through the trash, looking for things to play with, keep, or possibly even sell. The kids have to cross the river and walk 45 minutes to get to school, but in the rainy season, the river will rise so much that they can't get across the river. And when they can walk to school, they might not have very good shoes anyways. Here's a picture of the river:

And, here's a picture of some kids climbing through the trash, climbing like it was an everyday thing (which it probably was):

After seeing all the trash on the river, we went into a church in the village, and began washing the feet of the children. The feet were so dirty, the water that we were using began to turn black. But the smiles on the kids faces when they got the new shoes made my heart soar. It was an awesome sight. What was really cool was Jordan, the guy in pureNRG, couldn't find a good pair of shoes for an orphan, so he took off his own shoes and gave them to the orphan! I don't think a lot of people will ever know what he did. But I did, and I was truly blessed to witness it.
The saddest part about the whole trip was the last part of Tuesday. All the orphanages we had visited came together, and Michael, my sister, and me, were in the crowd of orphans from Douglas, letting them sit on our laps, playing with them, and trying to communicate with them the best we could. I felt like we had known them forever, and they felt like family to me. When the concert that pureNRG was performing ended, Michael called me over and asked me to get s translator (Michael's "adopted" kid was trying to ask him something). I quickly got one, and when she heard what the kids said, she looked up at us with a pained expression on her face. She translated, knowing full-well the answer: "When will you be coming back to my children's home?" I felt like I had been punched in the stomach when I heard those words. Suddenly, he had to leave (we never answered the question). I quickly ran over to my adopted kid and said "Adios" and gave him a hug. He smiled, walked a little, waved back at me, and walked into the crowd, probably not realizing we'd never see each other again. I hugged some of the other kids too, but more subconsciously. I turned away, and slowly walked to the back of the room, and (I'm going to be honest) tried not to cry. I know I'm 15 (almost 16) but I couldn't help it. I couldn't help but think, "What will his future be? Will he become a Christian? Will I ever see him again? Is that even possible???" I quickly called my sister over to tell me some jokes to cheer me up (she's a funny girl). Honestly, I didn't want people to see that I was on the verge of a sobbing spree (especially pureNRG). After a while, I felt a little better, but couldn't help think (I know, this might sound stupid) of Narnia. When they came back from Narnia, the characters might have had the same thoughts. "Will I ever go back? What will their futures be? Will I see them again?" (Of course it's fictional, but role with it...) My mind suddenly thought of the song "The Call" in Prince Caspian, and a line in it: I'll come back, when you call me. No need to say goodbye. I couldn't help but pray that one day I might come back.
On the plane ride back, I took pictures of the sunrise. It reminded me of one of my favorite verses.

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

-Proverbs 4:18

I know this was a long post (in fact, it has 1352 words), and if you have gotten to the end of it, I want to thank you for reading it. Please, if you remember, pray for the orphans I helped with. One thing I have been thinking of is that God doesn't need to know a name of a person to help them. I could pray for any person I saw there, and God would know, which is really cool.

Thanks for reading.

I'm Off! (no, not my rocker... to Mexico!)

2009-10-09T12:25:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! My braces are off (finally!!!) and I'm off to Mexico! I'll take tons of pictures, and I'll try to post as soon as I get back....

Everyone have a great week!

Jon

A Look Ahead in October:

2009-10-06T15:44:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm really pumped, because this Thursday (yes, this Thursday!) I will be getting my braces off!!! Party!!! The first thing I think I'll do is eat an apple. Or have some red licorice... Then, I'll be leaving for a mission trip in Monterey Mexico on the 9th with my two younger siblings and my dad. While there, we will wash the feet of orphans, and give them shoes (and we'll do something else, but I'll post about it later. It's really cool though!). As soon as I get back, I have a History test for college (I got a 76 on the last test. Yikes! But then he curved it to an 84, so that's not to bad.) And then I have the PSAT that Saturday (and I need to do REALLY good on it). Boy, what a week! Then, on the 29th, I turn 16. *gasp!* I'm so old! lol. That will be cool. Then, on the 30th, I will be able to legally drive without an adult in the car with me. Yay! And then, even bigger news, I might be moving (only 6 miles away from where I live presently). So, I have a big month ahead of me. Wow...

I hope everyone is having a good week! And, I'll post some more as soon as I get back.

Jon M.

P.S. What's a blog post without a picture?!?! lol. I went to a horse show with my sister in it, and while there, I saw a snake. I got a really cool picture:

And then, there was a really cool spider web on the ground, and I had to get a picture:

The Story of My Cellphone Through Pictures:

2009-10-03T13:07:00.007-04:00

Hey everyone! So, I realized over the last couple of days that I have the most unique pictures on my cellphone. Don't believe me? Well, here's some select pictures from my (which, btw, I had to take with my real camera, and then transfer onto my computer...)

It's my job to clean the lunch room at my school (I'm getting paid, so it's all good. lol.) I was sweeping, and I found a lunch note from a mom that said "I love you" and then had a little smiley face. I guess the kid could care less, because I ended up sweeping it off the floor:

My church is under construction, and I saw a "handicapped parking" sign crushed under the rubble:

The big shiny "Epcot ball" at Disney World:

Two pictures are here: One is a picture of Buzz Lightyear, and the other is my score on the ride. It's the highest score I've ever had, and probably will ever have! lol. But, I'm going to be honest, I kind of cheated. The ride stopped right in the middle, and I found a target with a bunch of points, so I kept hitting it. That definitely helped : )

Susan's dress from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yes, I was excited. Anything with Narnia, and I get pumped up...

This one is of a lime green tie that I found. I was thinking, "Who would wear this? And what would actually match it?!?!" This one isn't very clear, but, it was a wall of bags, filled with "packing peanuts". I was like, "Woah!!! I would hate to have to clean that up if they went everywhere..."

A picture of a car with a door that opens upward:

The flood that came (which was, in a way, very exciting):

A convertible with it's hood down while it was raining.

A book that was about as thick as the length of my hand (only a book nerd would do this: that obviously makes me one. lol.):

A sign for a "MISSING KITTY" named "HOUDINI". I was laughing my head off...

A picture of Darth Vader (you can see his lightsaber to the right):

Clone Troopers:

A picture of the "HOLLYWOOD" sign.

A picture of the Statue of Liberty:

My old computer giving me a message that said it would take 33,588 days and 9 hours to finish downloading 22 items (121 MB). Did you know that would take about 92 years? Wow, computers can be so dumb sometimes...

A frog dissection I did in Biology class. Thankfully, I passed... Well, now that you've spent about 2 minutes looking at absolutely random and pointless pictures, you might be asking yourself, "Why'd he take those pictures?" Well, I'll tell you: I'm crazy! lol... jk. Kind of... Honestly/Really, every time I saw something that I wanted to remember that I saw, I would take a picture, that's why.

Well, I hope that meant something to someone... somehow... lol. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Jon

P.S. It is officially fall here! I'm so excited!

Behind the Scenes...

2009-09-23T22:53:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! This might not mean a lot to anyone else, but, I found this clip of "Lucy, Peter, and Susan" (a.k.a. Georgie, Will, and Anna) arguing over who saved Trumpkin the Dwarf in Prince Caspian. Probably only I think it's funny, but hey. Whatever... lol. Here it is:

Cloudy with a Chance of Flooding

2009-09-22T09:02:00.008-04:00

Hey everyone! So, down here in Atlanta, a storm/more-like-a-monsoon hit us. Hard. Here’s some before and after pictures of where I live:

My backyard before:

My backyard during the flood:

Land across the lake before:

Land (that was submerged) across the lake during the flood:

The gazebo across the lake during: (note: the yellow thing floating was a net to prevent debris from floating in the lake. It didn't work.)

A random fence in our side backyard:

The water touching the house (you can see my shoes):

Land across the lake again:

Land across the lake a couple of minutes ago:

Thankfully, we’re completely fine, and our house didn’t like slip into the lake. lol. Anyways, I’m excited about today because:

1.) No school/college because of the floods.

2.) Today is the first day of autumn! (Which btw is my favorite season.)

To celebrate, I'm going to go have a cup of hot chocolate. And, I'll probably read a book...

I hope everyone has a great day!

Jon

P.S. I just heard my sister tell my mom, "Oh, our poor garden!" It's officially gone. Whoops... I guess no green beans or anything. "Bummer"... : )

P.P.S. This is a really odd post, especially when it comes to commenting, so if no one comments, I understand. It's like, "What do you say? 'Oops?' " lol

Finally... An Update:

2009-09-14T19:14:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! College has officially started! Obviously, since I haven't posted in forever and a day. About college: it's OK. I'll have to get use to the super "hypocriticalness" of it. That, plus the language. Oh well... I know college (and on top of that, THE WORLD) is like that all the time.

So, I have made an amazing discovery: The. Swedish. CHEF! From "The Muppets"! He's hilarious... I found this video, and it made my day:

I'll be the first to admit it's the dumbest thing on earth, but I laugh every time.

Next on my list of things to blog: I took more pictures of sunrises, and my dogs. (If anyone is wondering if I have a life outside of taking pictures, Blogging, and the Swedish Chef, don't worry, I do. lol):

My dog Pepper might look cute while doing nothing, but when he has a bone, he vicious! lol The picture reminds me of something that would be in a horror movie that would be the last image on a video tape or something:

Random note: I'm really excited about this:

Can't wait to see it!

Well, g2g finish some homework. Hope everyone has a great week!

Jon

P.S. One more for the road... lol

TAG!

2009-08-18T22:17:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! "Siminy" (someone who follows my blog) had something really fun on her blog. She called it "Tag". And, btw, Siminy has an awesome blog: memyselfyandi.blogspot.com. Check it out!

Basically, "TAG" is: What are ten things that you see right when you walk into your room?

Here's mine:

1.) Orange.

2.) Windows.

3.) Books.

4.) My computer monitor.

5.) A poster with my favorite Bible verse (Ps. 46:10).

6.) A keyboard.

7.) Shelves with baskets on them.

8.) Narnian artifacts scattered throughout the room.

9.) Fluorescent lighting.

10.) Books scattered throughout the room.

That's pretty much what my room looks like. When it's not a mess! : )

Also, Wayne Thomas Batson did on his blog (enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com) "Random Thoughts" and I thought that would be fun to do too.

1.) Highschool is starting this Friday!!!

2.) I'm then starting some college classes on Tuesday! And I'm only 15!!!

3.) I need to finish reading a bunch of books before school starts...

4.) I need to finish that song I'm composing.

5.) What am I having for lunch today?

6.) Why am I doing this??? lol

7.) I gotta go practice the piano...

I'll post more later...

Aug. 18th, 2009:

2009-08-18T09:07:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! I've been back from that camp for about 2 weeks now, and I still haven't posted! Uhg... Well, here's the post.

So, the camp went well. It was a camp that was almost 2 weeks long, that helped me defend my faith. We had lectures for 8 hours everyday (yes, it was long, but beneficial). Here is the website of the camp: http://www.summit.org/conferences/student/ . I really recommend this camp to everyone. They have it in Tennessee, Colorado, and Virginia (and they also have it in Canada and Australia!). The camp was amazing, and I learned a lot. It was in the mountains at a Christian college in Tennessee, so I got some awesome sunrise pictures (of course!). Here they are:

Those were fun to take. : )

And, while I was there, I found a beetle. It was huge!!! I took a picture of it too:

It doesn't really look big in the picture...

Before I move away from talking about the camp, I want to say that if anyone has any questions about the camp for me, then just let me know, and I'll be happy to answer.

Now, I would like to post about what God has laid on my heart recently. I was reading 1 Samuel this morning, and it said, "... And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed." (1 Samuel 18:30) That made me think, Ok, so when I behave "wisely", people should notice, right? And then I realized that it was completely true. (I mean, no duh, it's in the Bible! lol)

I had been leaving a restaurant with some of my friends, and I was the last one at the door. I looked behind me, and there was an older lady maybe 10 feet behind me, walking slowly toward the door. I waited and held open the door for her. She looked up and noticed that I had held open the door. And do you know what expression I saw on her face? A look of surprise. It was strange. She said, "Oh, thank you!" and started to walk towards the other set of doors. And then I looked back into the restaurant, and walking toward where I was was another older lady (she was with the other lady). The second older lady walked more slowly, but when she reached the door, she too was also surprised, and said, "Thank you". And then the first older lady started saying something to the second older lady something like, "Oh, isn't he such a nice young man... holding open the door... very kind..." Blah blah blah. But, I was standing there, really surprised. I mean, holding open a door really isn't that big of a deal. I try to do it all the time. But the ladies were so surprised, and as they were leaving, they kept going on and on about how "nice I was". And I had only said, "You're welcome" and held open the door! It was almost sad, in a way. I mean, if holding open a door is a signal to people that you are a kind person, then what is this world coming to? That then made me realize, If I behave wisely in everything I do, then people WILL notice. That just shows that actions do speak louder than words.

Well, I hope that spoke to at least one person that follows this blog. I'm not the best writer, so it might have been hard to follow. But I felt that I needed to share that.

g2g eat breakfast. Hope everyone has an awesome day!

Jon M.

Camp2:

2009-07-27T14:51:00.002-04:00

Hey! Well, White Water Rafting was amazing! We went on Class 4 rapids, and it was a blast. I definitely want to do it again.

Right now, I'm in the computer lab in the college at the camp. Everyone else in the computer lab are on Facebook. L-A-M-E! lol, no offense to those of you who have Facebook.

The camp is going good. It's a Christian camp about defending my faith (and since I am semi going to college next year, it is very beneficial).

While here, I've been playing a lot of volleyball. I love it!

Well, g2g. I'll try to post some more soon!

Jon

Camp:

2009-07-26T06:43:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm at the camp right now. It's 6:30 (a.m.) and I'm about ready to leave to go White Water Rafting. I'm kind of excited, but I am going to be so tired at the end of the day! Hope everyone is doing great, and I'll post more later. Have a great Sunday!

More sunrises:

2009-07-17T20:15:00.005-04:00

I was helping out with VBS (Vacation Bible School) at my church, and of course, I had to get up EARLY every morning to help out. But, everyday before I went, I would look out across our lake, and I would see a sunrise that I believe God put there to encourage me throughout the day. Here are some of the really cool pictures I took:

So, yep, those are the sunrises I was talking about in my previous post. My favorite sunrise is the 3rd one down. (And, just a note, I did NOTHING with the pictures on iPhoto. lol)

Here is a picture that I took of the sun through some trees. The camera didn't focus right, so it made a really weird picture. BUT, I thought it turned out pretty cool.

Hope you guys like them!

I'm going to a camp for 2 weeks starting the 19th, so I won't be able to post on my blog or comment on anyone else's blogs. So, no, I'm not ignoring anyone intentionally! lol

Hope everyone is having a great summer! I'll post when I get back.

Cereal smoothies(©) and other matters...

2009-07-03T23:14:00.007-04:00

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I last posted. My last post was that video. Wasn't that funny? I seriously couldn't stop laughing. No, seriously, I couldn't. (Ask any of my siblings, and they would vouch for me). I felt like the Joker, because I had a huge smile on my face that couldn't come off. (It finally did, but it took some willpower).

So, you must be wondering about the title of this post. Well, it's exactly what it says it is: Cereal smoothies(©) and other matters..." First, I'll talk about the cereal smoothies(©).

"Cereal smoothies" isn't really copyrighted. I just thought it looked funny, because everything else is "copyrighted". Anyways, basically, my brother and I made cereal smoothies (simple as that). Instructions:

1.) Take a bowl of cereal (with milk and anything/everything else you would like).

2.) Dump it in a blender (excluding the spoon and bowl).

3.) Blend.

4.) Enjoy!

The 4th step is the hardest part. Trust me. Here are some pictures of a "Captin' Crunch Cereal Smoothie":

Doesn't it just make you want to ___________ ? (I'll let you fill in the blank). And if you're wondering, I came up with the idea. (I'm so proud! No, not really) Totally random, and disgusting.

Now, we get to the "other matters" part of this post.

First, I want to post a link to this really cool blog I found. And it is really awesome (especially if you are a book lover). And, if you aren't a book lover, it is still awesome. Check it out! Here's the link:

http://coolkidsreviews.blogspot.com

Second (this is really short), I want to wish everyone a happy 4th of July. So... Happy 4th of July!

Third, because of the 4th of July, I'm sitting down with my dogs right now, because they are afraid of fireworks, and they bark whenever they go off. Now, you might be wondering why I am with my dogs. I am posting on the 3rd of July, so why should fireworks be going off? Well, it's either:

1.) Some people in my subdivision couldn't wait 24 hours.

2.) Some people in my subdivision can't count to 4.

With my subdivision, it could be either. lol, jk... who knows why the fireworks are going off! I hope they stop so I can go to bed...

Well, everyone have an awesome 4th of July! I'll post some more later... coming up: some really amazing photos of sunrises that I got last week. Truly, they are amazing. God really blessed me to allow me to see them. And get pictures! lol One last thing before I sign out. I know I have already posted this verse, but I would like to post it again, because it just... it just makes me think, and feel very blessed.

When I consider Your heavens, the works of Your fingers,

The moon and stars, which You have ordained.

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man, that You visit him?

Psalm 8:3-4

Wow...

2009-06-12T20:02:00.000-04:00

This video made me laugh so hard!!!

Piano playing:

2009-06-01T16:32:00.003-04:00

I decided that I would post a video of me playing the piano. The song I play in this video is from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I actually don't have the music for it, so what you hear is me playing the theme by ear. And, btw, I'm not perfect at the piano, so there are some mistakes. Hope you guys like it!

New York!

2009-06-01T13:28:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone! I got back from NY, and I decided I would post the highlights of the week (and pictures). Btw, I went to New York for a workshop/camp kind of thing.

May 19th:

· I flew to New York (duh!).

· I rode in a white-stretched limo (my first time ever riding in a limo!).

· I walked in Time Square.

· I saw my first Broadway Show, Guys and Dolls.

· I saw some random movie being filmed.

May 20th:

· Went to my workshop (first day). I was there from 1:00 – 8:00. It was really long, but beneficial.

May 21st:

· I got my SAT scores. I did OK, but I could have done better.

· I saw Shrek the Musical, which was hilarious.

· I ate in the Worlds Largest T.G.I. Fridays. We ate on the second level, to give you an idea of how big it is.

· I went to an MnM store. I found it hard to believe that you could have a store all about one candy, but they did it.

May 22nd:

· I saw Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian at a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, Imax theater. It took 3 escalators to get up to the theater. And these were pretty big escalators. The movie made an awesome sequel.

May 23^rd:

· I saw the play Wicked, which btw was amazing. What was awesome is that my mom and me sat in the very front row, dead center. Tickets there are usually worth $315 a piece. But we got them for $26 a piece. It was such a blessing! This is how we got the deal: there is something they have called a “Ticket Lottery”. My mom and me entered for Wicked lottery and my mom won! It was really exciting. Also a huge blessing!

May 24^th:

· I went to the American Museum of Natural History (the museum they used in Night at the Museum.) The outside is the same in the movie, but the inside is COMPLETELY different. It was sad!

· I walked in Central Park.

· I walked down the Broadway Street Fair.

May 25^th:

· I went on a water taxi, and saw the Statue of Liberty.

· I saw the Brooklyn Bridge.

· I saw the biggest clock in the world.

· I saw Ellis Island.

· I saw the World Trade Center.

· I saw ground zero.

· I ate lunch in Little Italy.

· I had my first snack from a street vendor.

· I went to Chinatown (there, I bartered for something. That was interesting…).

May 26^th:

· I attended an all day event at my workshop.

May 27^th:

· I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

· I went to a two-story Borders bookstore. IT WAS HEAVEN!!!

· I ate at the Hard Rock Café. There is a lot of truth in the “hard rock” part. I could barely hear myself talking, because the music was so loud!

May 28^th:

· I had lunch with a prominent TV/film composer.

· I attended an all day live recording session. That was really cool!

May 29^th:

· I saw Step Up III being filmed. It will be in 3-D. I also got pictures. Yay! I heard the crew yell “action!” and I saw the main characters act. It was really cool.

May 30^th:

· I came back to GA.

Well, that’s my trip to New York in a simplified form! The only thing I didn’t get to do was ride in the “Cash Cab”! lol

Thanks for reading!

Oops...

2009-05-18T18:51:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! I didn't mean to do this, but on Sunday morning, I realized that I had left a book outside while we were making the film. I went outside and got it (the book was Eragon). It looked so pathetic after I tried drying it out, that I had to post some picture of what it looks like:

BINDER VIEW:

PAGE VIEW:

COVER VIEW:

Here is a picture I took of a close up of some of the pages. It actually looks kind of cool!

Next time, I'll try to remember to keep my books inside next time it rains! lol

Tomorrow, I'm off to New York, so please keep me in your prayers. I'll post pictures on here as soon as I can.

New York, here I come!

A Short Comedy... kind of.

2009-05-17T12:08:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! Last night, some friends of mine came over, and we decided that instead of watching a movie, we should make our own. That's exactly what we did! It's kind of funny, I guess. Let me know what you think! I'm hoping we'll make more, so I'll post them if we do. And, yes, the video is extremely random and cheesy, but that was the fun of it!

(Note: beginning song is from National Treasure.)

The 1-Year Anniversary...

2009-05-16T17:56:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! I promise to post more soon. Now that summer is around, I'll have more time. Today (May 16th) is the 1-year anniversary of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Yay!

And, just to "celebrate", I took some pictures of what my room looks like, and some Narnia "artifacts" I have.

First off, here is the Prince Caspian poster:

(Just a note, there are actually two official posters, but I think this one looks better...)

Here is a picture of a side of my room: (I'm a Narnia freak, as you can see.. lol)

Most of my Narnia "artifacts" are up in my attic, but here is one that is extra special to me:

I forget what it the official name of it is, but basically, it is a "Concept Art Portfolio" for Prince Caspian. There were only about 500 made, so it's rare. It was given to me by a close family friend. Here is what's on the inside: (5 prints of the concept art for the film, and a "letter from Prince Caspian himself".)

If anyone would like close up pictures on the papers, just let me know.

Last, here is "Peter's Sword" I got for my 13th birthday. It is also one of the best gifts I have ever gotten.

So, yep, go Narnia! lol

Just a heads up, if you guys could pray for me, that would be awesome. I'm going to New York on the 19th (something for music), and I hope it goes great. I'll get to meet some composing people near my age, and it should be a lot of fun. I'll try to post some pictures onto my blog too. Just like I did with Boston.

Everyone have a great weekend, and I'll post some more soon!

Another one...

2009-04-28T18:06:00.001-04:00

I found another video that's awesome. Here's the URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4mB94ejivU&feature=popular

Chipmunk Style... lol!!!

2009-04-27T13:39:00.003-04:00

My brother found these videos, and I had to post them. Here is a song done by Toby Mac in "Chipmunk Version":

Here is "Made to Love":

Here is "Loose My Soul":

And here is one for all the Narnia fans out there. This is really funny!

Have a great week everyone!

Wow...

2009-04-19T23:12:00.003-04:00

This is such an amazing video. Here is the URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM

Seriously, this is amazing. I would have embed it onto this page, but the embedding tool for this video has been disabled.

Part 1 for art:

2009-04-18T14:24:00.007-04:00

I decided I needed to post some of my art work. Some of it is OK, some average, and some awful, but I hope you guys like it anyway! lol

I did this piece of artwork today. It is supposed to be a drawing of Aslan (which I did by hand with markers, and it took 3 hours!).

Here is another one I did. It is very abstract, but the point of it was to inspire people. If you can't read what it says, it says, "There is a sea of inspiration out there..." Basically, there are infinite possibilities! If you're wondering about the music notes and stuff, I compose music, so that's what I put them on there...

Here are two more. I LOVE going crazy with paints.

Another sunrise:

2009-04-03T23:20:00.002-04:00

I saw this sunrise and had to take this picture. It was absolutely stunning.

Here is bigger shot I took the same sunrise:

Sunlight...

2009-04-03T23:19:00.002-04:00

I took this picture, and it turned out really neat.

The best sunrise ever:

2009-04-03T23:11:00.002-04:00

I took this picture a couple of days ago. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. And it was off my back porch too! lol

Here is another picture of the same sunrise:

The camera didn't focus all the way, but the picture still turned out amazing:

Interesting clouds:

2009-04-03T23:03:00.003-04:00

It looks like God took a giant paint brush, a lot of acrylics, used the sky as a canvas, and painted an awesome picture.

Frozen over:

2009-04-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

I live on a lake, and this is a picture I took when it froze over. It was amazing!

My dog, Patch:

2009-04-03T16:56:00.002-04:00

He might look like Aslan, but he is far from it! lol He is the dog who ate the highlighters, which made his paws pink and yellow. It was really funny!

My dog, Pepper:

2009-04-02T20:36:00.000-04:00

He might look cute, but he's the devil.

I'm done...

2009-04-01T17:07:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone... I decided that I was done in the blogging business. It's just not working for me. See, my life gets busier and busier with the passing days, and I feel like I can't post at all now. So, sorry if any of you are disappointed...

Oh, by the way, highlight this area with your mouse:

FROM HERE: APRIL FOOLS!!!! :TO HERE

Well, sorry if I scared any of you... lol!

Anyways, I really need to post more. My friends ask me, "Are you going to post anytime soon?" and I reply, "Yeah, sure..." and never get around to it. So, I will try harder to post.

I finished the book of Psalms, and right now, I am reading Ecclesiastes. It is amazing! I have never read it before, and I am loving it. I really recommend it to anyone who doesn't know which book to read from their Bible. I love this verse especially:

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Isn't that a nice verse? Ecclesiastes is really speaking to me right now.

Well, I have to go eat dinner, but I will try to post more soon.

Before I go, here's a joke:

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Johnny was standing and staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The young man of seven had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up and stood beside him. Gazing up at the plaque, too, he said quietly, "Good morning son." "Good morning pastor" replied the young man, not taking his eyes off the plaque. "Sir, what is this?" Johnny asked. "Well son, these are all the people who have died in the service," replied the pastor. Soberly, they stood together staring up at the large plaque. Little Johnny's voice barely broke the silence when he asked quietly, "Which one sir, the 8:30 or the 10:30 service?"

lol

Bye!

The Big 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-25T15:38:00.003-05:00

HEY EVERYONE! GUESS WHAT? THIS IS MY 50th BLOG POST!!! YAY!!! PARTY!!!

OK, I'LL TAKE THE CAPS OFF... so, to celebrate this post, I am going to make a list of things that has happened to me over my life that no one would never have guessed. Are you ready? You are about ready to learn some things about me that most don't know!

1.) I have been on Nickelodeon.

2.) I have "Irish danced" randomly in a Starbucks and won a free coffee.

3.) I have sung "Happy Birthday Jesus" in front of 5,000 people, about 7 different times, when I was 5 years old. And in the last performance, there was a huge tree in the background that fell. I didn't flinch or anything. But the whole entire audience gasped, and the at least half of the choir behind me turned around. It was a loud crash too!

4.) I performed in "The Nutcracker" at the Fox theater in Atlanta for 3 years in a row.

5.) I have two deceases: "Achilles tendinitis" and "eczema". In English, one is in my ankle, and the other is in my hands. Achilles tendinitis is basically where my Achilles tendon might snap if I exercise it to much. And eczema is basically where my hands get dry easily in the winter time.

6.) My parents have written and published two books.

7.) I compose film music, and I one day want to write film music for one of the Narnia movies.

8.) I have never broken a bone.

9.) I stink at normal sports, but I am usually really lucky when it comes to the odd ones (like shooting at targets with guns and stuff).

10.) I have moved twice, but it was in a 12 mile radius all together.

11.) I have never passed out. At least not yet.

12.) I want to write a huge book one day.

13.) I have done an endorsement for a book, and my name is in it.

14.) I have one older brother, and one younger brother and sister.

15.) I have been on two cruises.

16.) I've been to Hawaii, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

17.) I'm currently composing a pop song about Narnia.

18.) I only read half the books I get. Usually, I get half way through and get bored.

19.) I've destroyed at least a dozen of my brother's lego sets. The incidents were "accidental". lol

20.) I've been on a TV show's pilot. It's not widely known, but it counts.

21.) Half of the songs I compose I don't finish.

22.) When I was little, I had a snow globe. I thought if I shook it really hard and through it against a wall, it would snow in my room. I was little, OK!!! lol

23.) I have a obsession with breaking things made of glass. I love the shattering sound!

24.) I saw Prince Caspian 3 days early. How? Well....

25.) I know the CEO of Family Christian Bookstores. He is my god-grandfather, and he, knowing I liked Narnia, took me to a private screening of Prince Caspian.

26.) I have had straight A's my whole life.

27.) I've met Third Day. That was my god-grandfather's work again.

28.) I've always wanted to be the main character in an action/adventure movie.

29.) I've never had a girlfriend (not because all the girls hate me, it's because I am against the idea...)

30.) I'm the only one in my family with blue eyes.

31.) I play the piano and flute, and I use to play the violin.

Well, I have homework. If anyone wants to say something about themselves, please comment!!!

Jon

Random fact:

2009-02-25T15:34:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile.

Guess what? I found out The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has a sequel, but it's not well known. I know that is random, but now you know.

I can't wait!!!

2009-02-10T19:52:00.003-05:00

I can't wait?!?! Can you?!?!

My burning question:

2009-02-09T18:46:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone! Well, I've been meaning to post for a long time, but life is really hectic right now! Uhg!

Anyways, I've been pondering this question for a long time. I came up with it myself, if your wondering. Here it is:

If juice from apples is called "apple juice",

And juice from oranges called "orange juice",

Why isn't milk called "cow juice"?!?!?!?!?!

L OOOO L

L O O L

LLLLL OOOO LLLLL

It makes so much sense! Yet all my friends think I'm crazy... I guess the same was for Einstein, so I'm in good shape! lol

Anyways, I live in Atlanta (I think most of you knew that) and I went to THE MOST AMAZING CONCERT!!! It had NewSong, Toby Mac, pureNRG, and a lot of other people! It was awesome! I need to post some pictures, but yet again, my camera is not cooperating. I am determined to fix the problem soon...

OK, the group "pureNRG" seemed to have a really weird name, until I relized how you are supposed to say the name. Instead of saying "pure-N-R-G" you are supposed to say "pure-en-er-gy". Isn't that cool?!?!

Well, got to go do some homework... joy.

I'll post again soon! And tell me what you think of my question!

Something to think about...

2009-02-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

I read this verse in the Psalms today:

So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

That made me think: How would I live today differently if I new today was my last day to live?

I'm going to try to keep that mindset for a couple weeks and see what happens...

Mythbusters!

2009-01-24T13:21:00.001-05:00

The 22nd...

2009-01-22T12:25:00.002-05:00

Well, today, our lake froze over completely. It was so pretty! Yet weird. I was able to step on it and it not break (near the shore). I even set my dog on it, but he didn't have as much fun. lol

Well, I did something pretty stupid today. I microwaved a metal spoon in my oatmeal, which (we think) might have made it radioactive. So, I didn't eat it. Duh.

Does anyone have a story to top that? I'm sure someone does! I would love to hear about it! It would make me feel a lot better. lol

So, I'll post a picture of our lake iced over on the left, because I (for some odd reason) can't get them to go into the post.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

P.S. Here's a really cool/smart bird!

Jan. 19th

2009-01-19T09:07:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I just started reading Genesis today, and I found a verse that made me smile. Here it is:

Then God made two lights:

the greater light to rule the day,

and the lesser light to rule the night.

He made the stars also.

Genesis 1:16

I love it at the end, "He made the stars also." It seems like Moses, the author, almost forgot to add that on! But that verse also makes me feel really happy. Just to think, that the God we worship and follow, the God that loves us, "made the stars also." I just love that! I mean, I know God made the stars... duh! But that verse still makes me smile. God is amazing. I know I can trust Him with everything.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Psalms 68:15

2009-01-17T09:13:00.003-05:00

Well, I found another cool verse in Psalms. It is worded kind of strange, but it is still really good:

Blessed be the Lord,

Who daily loads us with benefits,

The God of our salvation.

Doesn't that make you think? It makes me think A LOT. It also makes me feel a little selfish. God has given me A BUNCH of benefits (a great family, a house to stay in, food, etc.) and yet, I don't thank Him everyday for it. But he still loves me enough to keep giving me those benefits. So, I have decided I will thank God everyday, for all the benefits he has given me...

Have a great Saturday everyone!

P.S. Do you have a great verse that you like that you want to share with everyone? Please post it on your blog, or, leave it in the comments section! Reading new scripture everyday is a good thing! Duh! lol

Hey!!!

2009-01-14T08:55:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! I am SO SORRY I haven't posted in like... a month??? Who knows! Anyways, I decided today that I would post.

So... how is everyone doing? Did everyone have a good Christmas? I hope so. It's really sad, I got a digital camera for Christmas, but now it won't let me load the pictures I took! But as soon as I figure it out, I'll put some pictures on my blog (one of them is a picture of a rainbow that went into our lake!!!).

So, I found this funny video on YouTube.

Isn't that funny?!?! Well, I have to work on school, but I hope you guys enjoyed that!

I'll post again soon!

Another cool verse...

2008-12-19T10:10:00.003-05:00

For You will light my lamp;

The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 18:28-30

Have a great Friday everyone!

Cool verse...

2008-12-13T09:30:00.004-05:00

Right now, I'm reading the book of Psalms, and I found this really cool verse:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

Psalm 8:3-4

Dec. 9th

2008-12-08T15:41:00.006-05:00

This is really random, but I really like the polls on the sidebar! I have learned a bunch of things from them. Like, everyone who comes to this blog likes snow. And, everyone who voted for the movie sequels wanted to see Narnia 3. That's exciting!

Speaking about sequels, I forgot to add Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel to the list. That's all we need! lol The movie is supposed to come out Christmas day... next year.

Well, today is an exciting day. At least I think it is. Did you know, that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has been out for 3 years as of today?!?! It came out in theaters 3 years ago. I still remember my first time seeing it. But I'm a Narnia nut, so it makes since! lol

Before I go, I found this HILARIOUS pictures of two advertisements that got placed next to each other. By themselves, there OK advertisements. But together, it's funny! (It was all accidental, so its really funny!) Here is is:

Santa?

2008-12-07T12:04:00.004-05:00

OK, if you believe in Santa (I really don't expect anyone that comes to this blog does actually believe in Santa) but if you by chance do, DON'T READ THIS POST!

I found this HILARIOUS list of reasons (that some scientists compiled) of why Santa can't exist. Here it is:

1. No known species of reindeer can fly, but there are 300,000 species of living organims yet to be classified. Although most of these are insects and bacteria, this does not rule out flying reindeer.

2. According to the Population Refeence Bureau, 378 million people celebrate Christmas worldwide. With an average of 3.5 children per home, that's 91.8 million homes for Santa to visit. 3. Thanks to different time zones, Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, assuming he travels east to west. This works out to 822.6 visits per second. That means for each celebrating household with at least one good child in it, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, place presents under the tree, eat the cookies and return to the sleigh.

4. Assuming that all 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed throughout the earth, the total trip time will be 75.5 million miles. That means Santa's sleigh must move at 650 miles per second, 3000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth (the Ulysses space probe) moves at 27.4 miles per second. 5. Assuming that each child get nothing more than a medium-sized Lego set (weighing 2 pounds), the sleigh is carrying a payload of 321,300 tons, not counting jolly ol' Saint Nick himself. 6. A standard reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even if flying reindeer might pull 10 times more than a normal reindeer, Santa would need 214,200 reindeer to pull the sleigh. The reindeer, payload, Santa and sleigh would therefore weigh more than 353,430 tons. This is four times the weight of the Q.E. II cruise ship. 7. This 353,430 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates tremendous air resistance, heating the reindeer in the same manner as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would therefore absorb 14.3 quintillion joule of energy, per second, each. 8. The lead reindeer, as a result will burst into flames, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating massive sonic booms in their wakes. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 0.00426 seconds. Santa will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500 times greater than gravity. Assuming that Santa weighs 250 pounds, he would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,375,000 pounds of centrifugal force.

Well, I thought that was really funny. Have a great monday everyone!

And real quick, I need to cite my source for Mrs. L. (If you guys don't get the joke, that's OK.) : ) Here is the URL of that article: http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread15956.html

And 1 more thing, I heard this joke a long time ago, I just thought it would be funny to post:

What does NASCAR stand for?

Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks!

lol!

Let it snow!

2008-12-01T23:59:00.002-05:00

So, as you guys know, it snowed yesterday at my house. That reminded me of a really cool Bible verse that I had read a long time ago:

For He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth";

Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.

Job 37:6

Isn't that an awesome verse? Of course the "He" here is God. It really makes me think. No duh God controls the weather, but the verse is still really cool.

Have a great Tuesday everyone, and remember what comes out on DVD today... PRINCE CASPIAN!!! *AHHHHHHH* lol

Dec. 2nd... AHHHHHH!!!!!!

2008-12-01T13:19:00.003-05:00

OK, December 2nd is tomorrow, and I just want to tell everyone that The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will be released on DVD! (If you haven't realized it yet, I am a HUGE Narnia fan... lol)

Here's some pictures of the DVD:

1-Disc edition:

3-Disc edition:

It's really cool because in the 3-Disc edition, on the 3rd disc, they have something called a "Digital Copy". Basically, you can pop it into your computer, and download the movie onto your computer, and even put it on your iPod!

Well, I have to get some school work done, but guess what? I'm looking outside my window RIGHT NOW, and it's snowing!

Have a good day!

"Getting to know you!!!"

2008-11-30T20:46:00.005-05:00

Have any of you ever seen College Road Trip? Well, if you have, the title above should make since. If you haven't seen it, I really really REALLY recommend that movie. It is hilarious, has a great message, and is completely clean. Well... it's rated G.

But anyways, I think it would be great to get to know everyone better who comes to this blog. It will be a lot of fun.

OK, I made this quiz to get to know people better. Just copy this quiz into the comment part of this post, and just fill in the answers...

QUIZ:

1.) My favorite word is:

2.) The weirdest thing I have ever eaten:

3.) My favorite gum flavor:

4.) My shoe size:

5.) I have _ siblings.

6.) If I could choose a place to live, I would live:

7.) In my free time, I mostly:

Well, that's the quiz!

OK, here is today's Bible verse:

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.

HEBREWS 13:8

I really like that verse because it shows that Jesus will never change. It's funny, in Chemistry class, I just learned about something called a "physical constant". The definition in the book is something like "a measurable quantity in nature that does not change". I think this verse is saying basically (almost) the same thing about Christ. Christ will never change.

Well, I hope everyone has a great day, and I also took my own quiz, so my answers are in the comment section.

Bye!

Scripture time!

2008-11-30T16:00:00.003-05:00

OK, everyone Christian has a favorite Bible verse. What's yours? Mine is Psalm 46:10.

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

It says to me that no matter how hard things get, no matter how fast things seem to go, GOD WILL ALWAYS BE IN CONTROL.

Also, I have a quiet time every morning. Sometimes, I find a Bible verse that really speaks to me. For the next week, I'll post verses that speak to me, and maybe they'll speak to you too. Also, if you read a verse that really speaks to you, just go ahead and comment it.

Have a great week everyone!

RANDOMNESS!!!!!!

2008-11-21T16:00:00.015-05:00

For the Thanksgiving holidays, I have decided to celebrate by posting RANDOM THINGS!

*Applause*

Well, to start things off, here's the first random thing:

Have you ever wondered what the inside of Space Mountain looks like? Well, wonder no longer! I found this picture. It's not the best, but I mean HEY! You can see the inside of Space Mountain!

Now, if you have ridden space mountain before, it should seem familiar to you. And if it doesn't, you were probably really young, or, you were so scared you have forgotten all about it. lol

Here's a second random thing:

Skandar Keynes played Edmund in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This is what he looked like in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

Here's what he looked like in Prince Caspian:

This is what he looked like when he was really young:

I think its really funny to see him that little.

Also, about Skandar Keynes, did you know he is an atheist? I think that's really sad. But it's kind of funny, figuring his great great great grandfather was Charles Darwin.

3rd RANDOM THING:

Joe the Plumber has his own Wikipedia article. I haven't read it to see if it is clean or not, so I wouldn't go read it.

4th RaNdOm ThInG:

My dad told me this one. The biggest pumpkin ever made weighed 2,020 pounds! I usually get full after 1 piece! lol Here's a picture:

rAnDoM tHiNg #6:

I made a Thanksgiving poem. Here it is:

About this Thanksgiving, I was really excited

Till grandma came, uninvited.

When she said she was coming to town to cook,

We knew we had a hotel to book.

We tried to high tail it out of town,

But we ran into grandma, who stared with a frown.

I couldn’t find an excuse to leave,

Which made me want to turn and heave.

I guess we’ll have grandma over this Thanksgiving, I thought.

But I’m going to have to escape without getting caught.

Thanksgiving day came to quick,

Making me look green and feel really sick.

Grandma’s cooking wasn’t the best,

I would rather take (or eat) a 10-paged test.

But when I entered the dining room to eat,

I looked around and spotted the meat.

It looked perfectly normal, and it smelled good too,

But who would be the victim, who oh who oh who.

We all sat down, and gave thanks to God,

Which made me think, and my head nod.

Thanksgiving isn’t about the family or food,

It really had to deal with your attitude.

I thought of what I could be thankful for,

Whether I was rich or poor.

I had a family who cared and grandma who loved me,

That was it, that is the key.

I realized I had many things to be thankful for,

And that I really didn’t need anything more.

We all said ‘Amen’ and started to eat.

It tasted amazing. My, what a feast!

I looked up and smiled, catching my grandma’s eye.

I asked, “Could you, please, pass the pie.”

She smiled, “You really think it’s good?”

I replied, “It tastes great.” I hadn’t thought it would.

But I now know that Thanksgiving isn’t about the food,

It’s all revolves around having a thankful attitude.

Now, I know there are definitely better poems than the one I wrote above, but it was still fun to write.

OK, now it's your turn. You have something random you want to comment about? Go right ahead! But also, make sure you comment on one thing you thankful for.

I'm thankful for my family. They're always there for me, and they understand me best.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

P.S. The poem is fictional! I love my grandparents! lol They're awesome!

Talking dogs? Yep!

2008-11-19T22:27:00.002-05:00

You think you've seen everything? Well... watch this!

Narnia bloopers!

2008-11-17T18:04:00.001-05:00

OK, before you watch this video, make sure you scroll down to the music section and turn it off and go to the Journey to the Center of the Earth game and turn the music off there too.

Top 14 Movie Sequels!

2008-11-17T11:29:00.005-05:00

Hey all! Well, I found out that some movie sequels are coming out, and I just had to post what they are: (when they come out, I have no idea...)

1.) Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (It is official... but we don't know what the plot line is...)

2.) National Treasure 3

3.) Open Season 2

4.) Transformers 2

5.) Iron Man 2

6.) Spider Man 4

7.)The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

8.) The Hobbit (which is technically a prequel...)

9.) Shrek Goes Fourth

10.) Night at the Museum 2

11.) High School Musical 4

12.) Camp Rock 2

13.) Get Smart 2

14.) Kung-Fu Panda 2

Nov. 16th...

2008-11-17T07:59:00.003-05:00

Well, I meant to post some stuff last night, but by the time I got the time to post, it was really late, so I'm posting now.

If you're a Narnia fan like me, you probably saw Prince Caspian on May 16th. If you did, did you realize that that was a half-a-year ago? Is that weird or what? I can remember almost every detail of that day, and it was a half-a-year ago.

So, last night, I went and saw some harps being played at the same time. "How many?" you may ask yourself. Well, I saw not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7, not 8, not 9, not 10, not 11, not 12, not 13, not 14, not 15, not 16, not 17, not 18, not 19, not 20, not 21, not 22, not 23, not 24, not 25, not 26, not 27, not 28, not 29, not 30, not 31, not 32, not 33, not 34, not 35, not 36, not 37, not 38, not 39, not 40, not 41, not 42, not 43, not 44, not 45, not 46, not 47, not 48, not 49, not 50, not 51, not 52, not 53, but 54 harps perform all at the same time! That was so cool! Like, the whole room was vibrating. If your wondering why I went, my younger brother plays the harp, and he was playing with them.

OK, I read Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti this summer, and I liked it a lot. A little creepy, but a good book in all. Here's a picture of it:

There is an amazing quote I wanted to share with all of you. Here it is:

People are precious, and sometimes we forget that. They're precious because God made them, and they need friends, they need love. Jesus never teased or hurt anyone, but he loved everybody, even the little and dumb and fat and ugly and weird, and, well, if we all lived like that, then maybe the terrible things like we've just seen wouldn't happen.

At the end of the quote, just replace "... terrible things like we've just seen..." to something along the lines of "... terrible things we are seeing..." Have you've seen someone in the past week treat someone else maybe not the best way, or maybe not with the best intentions in mind? I can tell you I need to come back to this quote and think about all the people I know, and think, "Am I treating them the way Christ would treat them?"

A Blog to Look Into...

2008-11-15T10:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! When you were commenting, you might have noticed someone with the username "lindz" was also commenting. Well, she has a blog now! The URL is: leavesmespeechless.blogspot.com

Its an awesome blog, so please go check it out!

Kung-Fu... Cat?

2008-11-15T08:38:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! I found this picture of a cat and dog and, well... you can see it for yourself...

Speaking about Kung-Fu, I saw Kung-Fu Panda last night. It was... interesting.

There were some funny parts, but I don't think it was actually good enough to buy...

Joke for today:

Teacher: When was the Great Depression?

Student: Last week, when I got my report card.

lol

Have a good day everyone!

Journey to the Center of the Earth?!?!

2008-11-12T23:13:00.004-05:00

OK, you guys might have noticed I put on my blog a Journey to the Center of the Earth widget. Why? Well, I thought it was cool, and I thought you guys would like it...

Also, it's a great movie to look into getting.

Well, have fun with the widget!

WAALLL......EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

2008-11-06T20:55:00.004-05:00

I saw Walle. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it looked really stupid. But after seeing the movie, I thought it was a GREAT movie! I've seen it three times already, and I still love it! I really recommend it to everyone. It's funny, it's entertaining, and it has a great message overall.

Great book!

2008-11-06T20:49:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! I just read a book called The Mysterious Benedict Society.

It was a really good book! Figuring I actually finished it in less than a week and it was 485 pages...

If you read A Series of Unfortunate Events and liked them, then this is your book! And also, if the title seems weird to you, it will be unless you read the book.

Also, if you want to buy it, I would advise to get the paperback edition.

Fall Colors...

2008-11-06T10:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! As most of you know, I live on a lake. And I had to take this picture:

I thought it looked really nice.

Have a good day!

Song request...

2008-11-05T11:24:00.001-05:00

Do you have a really good, upbeat, Christian song that you like? Well, go head and comment here the song you want to have on this blog, and I'll upload them (if I can get them, that is.) So go head and request away!

The "I've read it" award...

2008-11-04T14:54:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone! I realized that I read all the time, and yet sometimes, I never end up finishing the book I'm reading. If it is really REALLY really good, then of course I finish it. So, I decided to make an award. I call it the "I've read it" award. (Wow, put a lot of thought into the name, didn't I? lol) The first book my award goes to is (drum roll please...) Bryan Davis's book, Raising Dragons:

This AMAZING book will keep you up all night, making you want to read more and more and more until you finish. This is the 1st book in a 4 book series (and there is even another series after this series). The name of Bryan Davis's website is: http://dragonsinourmidst.com/

I also give the "I've read it" award to (drum roll again...) Wayne Thomas Batson's: The Door Within

This is the 1st book in a really cool trilogy filled with action, adventure, and... well, every word in the Thesaurus when you look up "adventure".

Make sure you look into reading these books. They are amazing. I'll post new books sooner or later (more sooner than later...)

If you have any books that you have read that you think are amazing, then go head and comment the name and the author and a little about the book.

So start commenting!

Shark?!?!

2008-11-04T09:21:00.010-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but school is taking a lot of my time...

So, I have some interesting news. My brother took these pictures of a fresh water shark... YES... a fresh water shark in OUR LAKE! Here are some pictures:

So, the Animal Control people are coming to get the shark out of our lake ASAP. That'll be interesting... The Atlanta Journal Constitution came over and got a bunch of pictures and interviews.

OK, OK, don't get too mad, but the story above is a fraud... hoax... fake... GET THE PICTURE?!?! lol

But those pictures really were from our lake. It is of a carp (a really messed up carp) that likes to tan itself, so it rises to the surface and gets a tan. Is that weird or what?!?! It has a hobby of getting sunburns and giving people like us a heart attack every time we see it!

Here is a picture of him tanning: (he doesn't look like a shark in this picture)

WERE YOU FOOLED?

OK, here's a joke for today:

What do you call someone looking for paper towels? A Bounty hunter!

Have a good day everyone!

About the test...

2008-10-29T16:39:00.002-04:00

Well, I wanted to let everyone know that...

I PASSED THE TEST!!!

Yay! Now, I can legally drive around with a parent in the car. Watch out everyone! lol

Have a great day!

10.29.08

2008-10-28T19:58:00.003-04:00

Well, today's my birthday. Yay!!!!!! lol

I don’t know about everyone else, but I have two pets. Two dogs, actually. They are as stupid as all get out. No, seriously, they are. One is named Patch, and he weighs 22 pounds (severely obese for his breed of dogs) and he is so fat, he can’t jump up on our couch by himself, he licks the whole kitchen for crumbs AND THE CABINETS, and he is acrophobic (scared of heights.) Pepper, our other dog, weighs 11.5 pounds, he is ticklish, he is very spastic, he looks like a bat with fangs, and he needs a pair of braces more than the population of Georgia combined! The sad part is we keep them…

Today's assignment:

COMMENT IF YOU HAVE A PET, TELL US WHAT HIS/HER CRAZY HABBITS ARE, AND WHAT THE FUNNIEST THING IS THAT HE/HER HAS DONE.

OK, here's some jokes:

1.) What do you call someone allergic to water? Dirty!

2.) What happens when the fog lifts in Los Angeles, California? UCLA!

3.) How can you help a starving cannibal? Give him a hand!

4.) What do rock climbers like to read? Cliffhangers!

5.) What do you get when you cross a computer and mozzarella? Mac and cheese!

OK, I have to go. I'm taking my driver's test for a permit today, so please pray for me! Have a great day everyone!

Last day. Isn't it beautiful!

2008-10-26T23:30:00.002-04:00

A random pigeon...

2008-10-26T23:25:00.003-04:00

That's how many floors were in our hotel. They missed 13...

2008-10-26T23:21:00.002-04:00

Lunch on day 2. It was really good!

2008-10-26T23:15:00.003-04:00

THAT'S A GAS STATION SIGN?!?!?!?!?!

2008-10-26T23:10:00.002-04:00

OK, this really cool. From our hotel window, you could see a huge, HUGE, gas station sign. It's in the center of the picture.

Day 2. A little cloudy...

2008-10-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

A really cool picture of the city that I took on a bridge.

2008-10-26T22:50:00.003-04:00

Can you read "AIR" in the middle of the picture?

2008-10-26T22:25:00.004-04:00

A really cool picture of a tunnel I took...

2008-10-26T22:20:00.003-04:00

10.27.08

2008-10-26T20:28:00.004-04:00

So, I read a really good Christian book recently, and I really recommend that everyone looks into getting it. It is called Trion Rising. Robert Elmer, the author, really had a good idea when he was writing this book. The main concept of the book is, “What would it be like if Jesus had come to another planet?” It is a really awesome book with amazing characters, and it is all set up like a Star Wars and Star Trek movie. Here’s a picture of the cover:

OK, here’s today’s Bible verse:

Prov. 3:5-6

This time, look up the verse. Highlight in your Bible it if it speaks to you. It’s one of my favorite verses.

OK, here’s some funny jokes for today:

1.) Bus driver: Jake, go outside and see if the turn signal is on.

Jake: OK, let’s see… yes-no-yes-no-yes-no…

2.) Q: What is a banana’s favorite game show?

A: “Peel or No Peel“

3.) First astronaut: We’re going faster than the speed of sound!

Second astronaut: What’d you say?

4.) Lady: So, this is one of those hideous disgraces you call modern art?

Museum guard: No, madam. That’s called a mirror!

Hope you like those jokes! Today’s assignment:

MAKE SOMEONES DAY. TELL THEM A JOKE. TELL THEM WHAT A BLESSING THEY ARE TO YOU. TELL THEM THEY LOOK NICE. GIVE THEM A RANDOM GIFT. JUST CHOOSE SOMEONE AND DO SOMETHING FOR THEM.

Doing something randomly nice for someone can really make them feel special, and everyone needs something like that at some point in time.

Have a great week! And also, I plan to post more pictures from Boston really soon! (my computer was having "technical difficulties"...)

Boston!

2008-10-25T09:23:00.002-04:00

Hi ya’ll! I’m back! Sorry for not posting while I was in Boston, but Internet costed $10. Thanks a lot Marriott! So, you might be wondering, WHAT WAS IT LIKE?!?!? Well, IT WAS AWESOME, AMAZING, AND “SUCH A GOD THING!!!” Do ya’ know what I mean by that? Here. Let me show you.

Two weeks before trip: My dad has a business trip to Boston. Out of all the places in the world, there happens to be a college I was looking at IN BOSTON. I find out I can go. LAST MINUTE.

Tuesday: We fly in. We rush to the college. We ask if the tour of the college campus had started. He says, “Oh, there right behind you.” We see the whole campus, and I learn what software they use. I use the same software!

Wednesday: Nothing much happened today for me since my dad had a meeting, but I was able to catch up on school... and compose a little...

Thursday: We go back to the college and into the film scoring department. There is no one there. We go over the admissions office. They say no one would really be there until later. WAY LATER. I say we should just head back over, just in case. We run into a teacher, and we tell him we would like to talk with someone about the film scoring part of the school. He calls someone in the office we were just in, and someone was there. We get to talk with someone about the college and what I would have to do.

OK, I know its really choppy up there, but basically, everything worked out perfectly. I trusted God, and he directed my paths. It was amazing, just seeing how God orchestrated everything together. Even the little things. As we were walking into the hotel, it started raining. We got to leave early because we were allowed to switch flights. I originally had to sit in the back of the plane WITHOUT my dad, but there was an open seat NEXT TO HIM. I EVEN GOT TO WATCH PRINCE CASPIAN FOR FREE ON THE FLIGHT BACK!!! I mean, God did some amazing things on that trip, even little things to make me happy. He really knew how to work everything out, even when it seemed like nothing would work out.

OK, I would post pictures on this post, but I'm going to need to post them separately. So look for the pictures!

The view from my window:

2008-10-24T18:34:00.005-04:00

Mondays...

2008-10-20T10:57:00.006-04:00

Ya' know? I like Mondays. After a weekend, it’s nice to get back and see everyone, even though school comes with it. Well, tomorrow, I'm going to Boston. Am I excited? You bet I am! My dad has a conference there, and I’ll be tagging along with him to see a college that is there. I'll see if I can take some pictures…

So, I saw a couple of nights ago Indiana Jones 4: The Legend of the Crystal Skull.

Now, if you haven't seen this movie, it’s OK. You didn't miss out on much. I thought it was OK, except for one thing. THE WHOLE MOVIE WAS SO UNREALISTIC, I WAS AFRAID OF HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPENT ON RENTING THE MOVIE!!! No, I'm kidding, I wasn't worried about that, but the movie was very unrealistic. From army ants to aliens, and monkeys to nuclear bombs, this movie pretty much has everything you can imagine (and everything you can’t imagine…) If I were you, I wouldn't waste your time. Sure their were some good stunts, sure the animation was cool, and sure, there were some funny parts, but I didn't feel like I had actually taken anything away from the movie when we finished it. So if you want to see it, it’s up to you, but if you don’t know, I would just forget it and move on. If you want a great review that tells you pretty much everything there is in that movie, go to: pluggedinonline.com It’s by Focus on the Family and they practically review every movie that comes out. They usually do a very good job. Now, I’m sorry if any of you guys love that movie. That is just my personal opinion…

OK, here’s a couple of jokes for today:

1.) Q: What do you call a cow getting punished by his parents?

A: Grounded beef!

2.) Q: What’s the worst game to play in a storm?

A: Twister!

3.) Q: What kind of music do balloons not like?

A: Pop!

4.) Peter: Did you hear what happened to the butter?

Billy: No, what?

Peter: Oh, I’d better not tell you because it my spread.

5.) Robby: Knock, knock.

Ryan: Who’s there?

Robby: Ice scream soda.

Ryan: Ice cream soda, who?

Robby: Ice scream soda whole neighborhood can hear me!

So, yep, those are today’s jokes. Today’s assignment:

1.) Post your favorite joke on the comment part of this blog!

2.) Try to smile at some point today : ) lol

OK, I have a really great verse for today:

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD…

That verse is Psalms 46:10a. It’s actually my life verse. It tells me that know matter how hectic life is, know matter what happens, know matter how stressful it gets, God is in control. Remember that verse throughout the week. It helps me a lot just to pause and think that God is in control.

Have a great day everyone!

Rock or sand...

2008-10-18T19:02:00.004-04:00

So yesterday, I went tie shopping. Never heard of it? Neither had I until yesterday. It was RIDICULOUS!!! There were so many ties! Yellow ties, blue ties, red ties, psychedelic orange ties, electric green ties... literally you name it, they had it. And the "they" in this is 5 different stores! And you know how long it took? 2 HOURS!!! I am so sick of ties right now, its not even funny! I went because of my older brother. We are going to Homecoming with some friends and we were trying to get a certain color tie. 5 stores later, we found it, but it took FOREVER!!!

Here's two jokes involving Math...

1.) Q: What did 0 say to 8?

A: Nice belt! (If you don't get it, look carefully at the numbers...)

2.) Q: Why was the geometry teacher so confusing?

A: Because he talked in circles!

So, one of my friends emailed me one of the funniest things. Ya' ready? This is a public bathroom in Houston, Texas.

NOW, HERE'S THE INSIDE:

So, basically, you can see everyone while using the bathroom, but they can't see you.

So here's the question of the day:

WOULD YOU (MORE LIKE, COULD YOU) USE IT?!?!?!

And a big thanks to my good friend who sent me that email. THANK YOU!

OK, now it is time for a Bible verse. Ya' ready? Here it is:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (NIV)

You have probably heard that before. Ya' know who said it? Jesus. It is found in Matt. 7:24-27. It is actually the last part in the Sermon on the Mount. Basically what it is saying is that if you do what God tells you to, your a smart person. If you lay yourself a strong foundation, when Satan tries to tear you down by temptations and trials, you will have that firm foundation and will not fall. But if you don't have that foundation, and Satan comes at you, you'll fall. So I have a challenge for everyone this week:

Be the wise man.

It won't be easy. I even struggle with it. Everyone struggles with it. But you know what? I am striving for that foundation on the rock, because I know that I will need it in the days to come.

1st Post

2008-10-18T12:47:00.000-04:00

Hey peoples! Well, this is my first post on this blog. What is this blog, you may ask? Well, this blog is basically an online journal for me (hint: MyLife) that everyone can read. I’ll write about things that happen in my day (whether they are funny, sad, or exciting), and I’ll also write about things I learn during the day. One thing I have already learned today is that it is definitely getting really cold! I live in GA, so here, WE DON"T LIKE THE COLD!!! But it was nice to wake up and get some hot chocolate...

Another thing I’ll do on this blog is I’ll post Bible verses, jokes, questions (for you to answer!), and much more! I think it will be cool to get people to talk about themselves on the comments section below. So my very first couple of questions for everyone is this:

WHAT IS YOU FAVORIATE THING ABOUT FALL? WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE? IF YOU COULD GIVE FALL A DIFFERENT NAME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I can tell you one of my favorite things about fall is that when fall comes, so does my birthday! (10/29) : ) Another thing I like about fall is the colors. They are amazing! The oranges, the reds, the yellows, the browns… God really did a good job! The thing I don’t like about fall is getting sick. BLAK! I hate getting sick, and if anyone out there likes getting sick, they need a reality check! If I could give fall a different name, I would call it Roybleaf. If you are wondering, WHERE DID HE GET THAT?!?, well, I got it from the colors (R-red, O-orange, Y-yellow, B-brown) and "leaf" for "leaf", because those are the colors of leaves.

Well, before I’m done posting, here’s a couple of jokes:

1.) Where’s a rabbit’s favorite place to eat? IHOP!

2.) Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Babylon

Babylon who?

Are we going to Babylon about this forever?!?!

3.) What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it? A post office!

Well, that’s all for today, but please post on the comments section and tell me what you think! A look ahead, I’ll have book reviews, more jokes, movie reviews, fun facts, awesome pictures and more!

MyLife

Not Quite Goodbye...

Back from NY...

Blogging at 32,000ft:

It's Been a While, Hasn't It?

Alice in Blunderland...

My Music Is On YouTube!

Book Signing!

Proud SAT Survivor

Update on the "Update on Life":

Update on Life...

The Idea:

Snow Day!

Snow and Books...

DUMA

Music:

Ring of Fire:

Merry Christmas!

Narcoleptic Dogs & Fainting Goats? Yes...

Pictures:

Oct. 26th:

Airplane to Narnia:

I'm Off! (no, not my rocker... to Mexico!)

A Look Ahead in October:

The Story of My Cellphone Through Pictures:

Behind the Scenes...

Cloudy with a Chance of Flooding

Finally... An Update:

TAG!

Aug. 18th, 2009:

Camp2:

Camp:

More sunrises:

Cereal smoothies(©) and other matters...

Wow...

Piano playing:

New York!

Oops...

A Short Comedy... kind of.

The 1-Year Anniversary...

Another one...

Chipmunk Style... lol!!!

Wow...

Part 1 for art:

Another sunrise:

Sunlight...

The best sunrise ever:

Interesting clouds:

Frozen over:

My dog, Patch:

My dog, Pepper:

I'm done...

The Big 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Random fact:

I can't wait!!!

My burning question:

Something to think about...

Mythbusters!

The 22nd...

Jan. 19th

Psalms 68:15

Hey!!!

Another cool verse...

Cool verse...

Dec. 9th

Santa?

Let it snow!

Dec. 2nd... *AHHHHHH*!!!!!!

"Getting to know you!!!"

Scripture time!

RANDOMNESS!!!!!!

Talking dogs? Yep!

Narnia bloopers!

Top 14 Movie Sequels!

Nov. 16th...

A Blog to Look Into...

Kung-Fu... Cat?

Journey to the Center of the Earth?!?!

WAALLL......EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Great book!

Dec. 2nd... AHHHHHH!!!!!!