It's Been A Busy Last Couple of Weeks

I know that's just about the longest and most uncreative title, ever, but this sentence makes up for that right?

Lately, I've been spending mass quantities of time getting to know my new friends (Katie, Josh and Elyssa). We've been all playing the New Super Mario Bros. for Wii (along with Mandie, when she's not asleep). That game is so much fun but it's also so very addicting. I'm shocked out intense we can get and how pumped with adrenaline we often find ourselves making the funniest and strangest noises, awww-ing at deaths, and cheering loudly when anybody is victorious. Yet while playing the other night, I had the thought of "how does God fit into this?"

Katie and I talked about it today and she had a very neat insight that I thought was really cool. She reminded me that when we're playing together, even though that game has no real, life value, we're bonding and getting to know each other on a different level. It's that kind of bond that makes us more available to talking to each other about deeper matters in life and in a sense can be an act of worship when we're enjoying the creativity of God and the fellowship of others.

School started yesterday. I'm taking two different English Literature classes (British Literature from the Romantics to Modern and Shakespeare), Intro to Sociology, and U.S. History (17A). So far, all my classes seem like they are going to be super easy, just a lot of reading, some writing, hardly any tests, and great teachers. Of course, I've only been through the first day of each class; so "so far" isn't very far.

Recently, I haven't seen very many movies. Watched Sherlock Holmes though and highly recommend it for any crowd. It's kind of spooky, very cleverly written, the art direction is amazing, and it totally deserves all the Oscar nominations it got. Speaking of which! Have you seen the list yet?! I'm pretty excited cause there's only like five major films I didn't see this year. I'm thinking I'm going to have to watch them before the Oscars though so I can really weigh in on who I think is going to win. I'm going to miss Tracy, however, I wish she could visit during the Oscars to have an Oscar Party with me.

Well, tonight is the season premiere of LOST, The Final Season, and I'm super excited... but I'm not watching it. Instead I'm going to spend some quality time with my friend Darryl at the gym. Kinda weird huh? I'll watch it online tomorrow after class, before AXIS, or maybe after AXIS. Just figured that spending time working out would be good for me and sitting around watching LOST, alone, in a dark, quiet house... sounds kinda boring in comparison.

By the way, I'm thinking about writing again. Maybe working on a screenplay. Not sure though. Don't want to make any promises to my blog audience, but maybe it's time for the continuation of my favorite story... The Unfinished Story (for the original short story check my blog tags or labels for stories). Never know.

Oh and before I go, I've finished reading Peter Pan in Scarlet, Civil War, both Blackest Night issues (got to get the rest [must say previous in zombie "Brainz!" voice]), and am now on to reading Peter Pan and the Sword of Mercy (by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry). I'll have to write a handful of reviews this weekend on all these things. Until then! God bless, Reader!

This has been another quite random blog by Chris... no organization here just rambling really.

HE IS WE on PureVolume.com™

HE IS WE on PureVolume.com™

LOVE these two. If you're into mellow vocals, piano, and quitar, then you'll love them too.

I think I may have posted about them before, but I'm just listening to it again and thought I'd post in order to let you all know that they are going to be big, and soon, and you'll want to be able to say that you discovered them before everybody else did.

Enjoy!

Movie Review: Lovely Bones

...COMING SOON...

My Last Week of Freedom

I have one week, just one more week, before school begins. I don't like to think about it. I don't like to think about all the homework I shall suddenly and unwillingly be bogged down with. I don't like to think about having to drive to school every morning at the horrid half hour of 8:30. I do, however, look forward to being the "me" that I've become, after coming through this last break's trials, lessons, trips, and restorations, at school and not just around the house or at church.

In this last week or so, since our Disney family vacation, I've been hanging out with friends a lot, reading books (for fun) like mad, getting to know Josh and Elyssa, and getting to know the new girl in town who just happens to live next door (literally, she's staying in Catherine's room).

It's been nice getting to spend time with friends. Two day ago, after Terra Nova's awesome night of truth and then a sweet scavenger hunt that Elyssa created for us to do, I stayed up till 5 AM watching movies, playing video games, talking, and watching Scrubs with Nick, Mandie, and Katie (the very literal "girl next door"). Yesterday, for example, I went to Santa Cruz to pickup a few comic books I ordered at Atlantis Fantasyworld (the comic shop from The Lost Boys [movie filmed in Santa Cruz]). Jason came along with me and we visited Alicia and Dianna at the Coffee Cat as well. It was really nice, even if it was short, just to casually get to hang out with friends, very spur of the moment.

Now these three new books are just three more to the list of books that I am currently planning on reading. I've got Alice in Wonderland (both Adventures and Through the Looking Glass), Peter Pan in Scarlet, Peter Pan and the Sword of Mercy, V for Vendetta, Marvel's Civil War event, the first two issues of DC's Blackest Night story / event, Screwtape Letters, Ragamuffin Gospel, and two fantasy books about Merlin that I can't remember the titles of. Not to mention, I started but haven't finished The Magician's Nephew nor Children of Hurin. That's a lot of books to be reading this close the "The End" of Break. I've finished Alice in Wonderland, an "easy" read only in the sense of it is relatively short yet not in the sense of easy to understand for that book is surely a mystery wrapped in an enigma in a box of conundrums. I've also finished, just yesterday, V for Vendetta, the graphic novel released in 1988 about a villain named V and the horrible future of Britain in 1999. V for Vendetta, well known because it was recently made into a movie, is very dark, dismal, clever, intriguing, and all about anarchy. Now, I've started reading Peter Pan in Scarlet, which is the first-ever authorized sequel of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy. It has given me laughter and chills so far. I'll give you a better review when I'm finished reading it.

Josh, I mentioned him in my last update list, is the new College and Junior High pastor at church. He and his newlywed wife have brought a lot of order, direction, and excitement into both ministries. Having Josh now in Junior High allows me to go back to being the protege, instead of being the acting pastor. I'm back to doing more graphic designing, which I love, and eventually teaching again too. I feel I have room now to continue growing instead of being forced to pretend I had grown all that way already. I praise God for Josh so much. He's an answer to so many of my prayers and is the manifestation of God's hand moving in such a mighty way at South Hills. It's been fun getting to know Josh and Elyssa this last week or so now, definitely see them as being good friends and leaders in my future.

Finally, allow me to introduce you, by name only really, to Katie. She's, quite literally, the girl next door now, from Oregon originally, however, she's a missionaries' daughter from The Philippines. She is here in San Jose to study circuit board design for a few months and will be staying with us meanwhile. I'm sure she'll come to church with us on Sundays, so you'll probably see her around. This is really a preemptive explanation for those who are going to look down from the balcony and ask each other, "Who is that girl with the Schoppet family?" So now you know!

Anyways, in this last week before school, I'm looking forward to reading more of those books. Hopefully, I'll get through enough that I can still read them into the semester alongside my Shakespeare and British Literature class. That's going to be a lot of reading but that's good if I want to be a writer to be doing a lot of reading at this stage in my "career." Right? Thank you. Well, actually, I'm off to go make some lunch now before going over to help a leader from Junior High move some boxes from her house to her new apartment. Looking forward to it too. Wouldn't have thought that I'd be excited to help someone move, but praise the Lord I am.

The Book Of Eli: Quick Review

The story about a man who is carrying a highly sought after book, played by Denzel Washington, is one set in Post-Apocalyptic, devastated, and brutal world. Denzel's character, Eli, is on a mission westward across this barren wasteland inhabited by marauders, thugs, villains, whores, cannibals, and others just struggling to survive.

It was slow at first. A little bit too... wanna-be an epic feel to it. Though it soon picked up with the sparse but intense action scenes and the storyline putting itself together skillfully. Doesn't have a "I'm completely satisfied" feeling at the end of it, yet it was well filmed, enjoyable, and had a solid message that I don't want to give away.

Recommended to those who can handle some cursing, bloody violence, and whose ears are open to hearing truth. It is rated R after all for a reason.

Update List (aka 2 Busy 2 Blog)

Just letting you know that I do intend on blogging... eventually. There's a lot that's been going on lately, just super busy really. I go from one thing to the next without much down-time. Here's a brief list on what's new though:

• Josh, the new college and junior high pastor, started.
• Super excited because this is God's hand made visible to me. Love him! (God... and Josh... but God more. No offense, Josh). 
• I went on a family vacation to Disneyland and Hollywood.
• We spent two days in the parks.
• Did every ride we wanted to do and more.
• Fantasmic! wasn't showing. I was really bummed. Cause you all know how I was looking forward to that.
• We toured Hollywood.
• Saw the stars on Hollywood Blvd. 
• Visited the Chinese Theater.
• Went on a long search for Paul McCartney's house.
• Went to the comic shop from The Lost Boys.
• Bought V for Vendetta and ordered some of the Blackest Night Green Lantern issues.
• Now I'm back on break, BUT, I have to clean everything because we are hosting a missionary's daughter for a few months as she studies here and she comes Monday or Tuesday and now is the only time to clean really. So! I must get to it and not blog any longer. 

Back From Urbana

Got back from Urbana last week Thursday, honestly have no idea where the weekend went. Friday is a blur in my mind and I know Saturday was good. Sunday, I can remember Sunday clearly. It was strange to be back, kind of felt like a movie or a dream that I was watching in perfect first person. It's after I ate a burrito at La Vic's that I realized I'm not dreaming. Anyways, bring home is really nice. It's so much warmer here than it was in 17 degrees St Louis Missouri. I love being warm more often. Having the freedom to sleep when I need to. Watch some television, play some games, and read books. Currently, I'm reading about six books, the one I'm most excited to read is Peter Pan in Scarlet (the only official sequel to James M. Barrie's Peter Pan). Where was I? Yes... Home at last! 


Don't get me wrong here, Urbana was awesome. When we were being dismissed for the last night, Greg Jao the emcee told us that when people ask we shouldn't tell them how awesome the worship was or how much fun it was to live in a hotel for a week or who spoke and what they said. So, Thanks Greg, I'm free from having to tell them all that stuff. Instead, he suggested we tell you what God did that week. So here I go:


God did so much more than I expected. I was expecting Urbana to be extremely fake, contrived, boring, stuff I had all heard before, and pushing missions on us as if our only option was for everybody there to go to Africa at the end of the week and serve the rest of their life there. I kept expecting them to lead us blindly into a room where we were brainwashed or branded and put onto a plane or ship in order to go serve somewhere. Praise the LORD, that He truly was behind this trip. He showed up in so many ways that I didn't see coming. 


---- More coming soon... if you would like to learn more about our Urbana 09 trip then check out the link in my previous post. ----