No, I can’t, I just realized that I have to walk half way across campus to get to my next class. Well, that stinks. Oh well, more later.

By the way, I just wanted to add this little tidbit. Please give Tara a hard time since she hasn’t updated her website since March. Thank you, now back to our regularly scheduled web-nothingness.

These past couple of days have been extremely busy, except they seemed to slow today. This is usually a good thing, except for the fact that I’m pretty tired from being busy, and so now the temptation is to place the left cheek into my left hand, lean, and snore. Hopefully this will not abound, and hopefully none of the morbid drool will accompany it.

Of course, this morning in my organizational behavior class, all the lights were out. Coincidence or conspiracy? Then, we watched a short film clip from “The Firm” and OF COURSE the professor had to make sure it was completely dark in the room. Very bad for a student who pictures himself with a pillow. Then, in Astronomy, our professor is still MIA from a trip to see her mother, and so we have had another substitute who consistently finishes lecture about 40 minutes early. Yay to the average student, but now what I am supposed to do for two hours until my next class? Man, life is hard
Joash and I hung out at China Wok last night after a busy day at work–it was actually extremely refreshing and relaxing. There is only so much time you can spend in front of a computer screen (and this from a computer science major?!?) so it was good to remember my social skills.

The Fall Getaway is this weekend. This will be my fourth one–two in Ruidoso and two in Glorieta. I’m looking forward to a great game of capture the flag. Plus, I’m just excited to get up into the mountains.

I just remembered–I need to look over my lab for this afternoon before I actually get to lab. It would be wise to be prepared, eh?

The exciting life of Mark, to be continued. In the meantime, check out someone else’s interesting life.

Updated: Pictures from the surprise.

Last night at the Duck Pond, students from all over campus gathered together in an incredible display of unification, grief, and hope. at this candlelight vigil, we prayed for our fellow citizens, for our President, and for the world, that God’s ways would be known throughout them all and that justice would be seen in His time and in His way. We ended the night by singing, “America”. Praise be to the Lord.

Have you ever stood in the shower with water dripping off of your head while you are looking down, so that one drop looks like two until it hits the shower floor? I don’t have any cool analogies or anything about it; I just thought it was a pretty neat phenomenon. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Work seems eerie today. It’s a pretty somber mood, all of us thinking the same things, but none of us knowing how to quite act. Tonight, after work, there is a prayer bonfire in Bernalillo to again pray for the country. Man, if we prayed like this when there wasn’t tragedy, I believe this world would be quite different.

Watch soon for pictures from the weekend–the one in Houston. Guess what? Renee and I are up to 33 blazing days of glory now. Amen!

So as the Lord has graced me, I returned safely from Houston just in the nick of time. Like everyone else in America, I am upset at the tragedy that has befallen our nation. But there are mixed feelings rumbling around in this soul of mine.

• Can we assume that America deserved it? This question doesn’t make sense unless you look at it in a very deep sense: that sin warrants consequences. When, in the land of opportunity, we are busy boozin’ it up, committing endless acts of adultery, practicing unlawful … ermmm… practices all the time–do we really think that we can get away freely? Just as Newton said, “For every action, there is an equal an opposite reaction.” Sure, God has forgiven us for our sins. We have been saved from the very pit of hell itself. But that doesn’t mean that the nature of sin–and its consequences–go away. It is a horror that this should be what it takes to wake America up. It is a horror that so many died without knowing first about God’s redemptive love. But we also know that Satan is alive and well and wanting to do everything he can to demolish God’s plans. As the writer of Proverbs has said, “Pride comes before a fall.”
• Revenge? Those consumed with vengeance are no better than those who instigated the attack in the first place. This is the very worst of human nature–the desire to kill and to avenge–when that right is not our’s in the first place. It belongs to the Lord. Rest assured, the terrorists will receive their just rewards. Only, it’s not us who decides those rewards.
• “Everything is going to be different now.” Agreed–things are certainly not going to be the same. I don’t necessarily run circles around my house at the exciting news that I’ll probably have to go through many more security precautions in airports. But you know what? I’m not going to complain. It’s not a right that I can fly; it’s a privilege. It’s time that I recognize that this country is all about privilege, not rights. What I am going to do is everything I can, with God’s grace, to show the love of Christ to a hurting and lost world. That’s how I want to change.

Classes were cancelled yesterday, all were in session today. It’s a pretty eerie feeling to be walking across campus and know that everyone is talking about the exact same thing. I pray that God would unite our hearts right now as we continue to pray for the lost and for the families of the victims, as well as for President Bush. He needs it right now as an entire nation–300 million people-turn to him for understanding, for guidance, and for wisdom.

Well, as some of you know, I was on my way this Friday to go visit a very special lady I like to call Renee. Let me let Renee recount the story:

“Since I didn’t have much to do today, I hung around all day long and decided not to take my shower until after lunch. So, just as I was going to blowdry my hair, there was a knock at the door. I thought it was one of the neighborhood kids! However, it was a giant box! My dad looked at the top of it, and said, ‘Hey look! It’s from New Mexico!’ I thought, ‘Whaaaaaaaaat?!?!? What could it be (knowing how sneaky Mark is)?’ So, I put my hands on the top and gave it a little shake. It was veeeeeeeery light! So I put two and two together and said, ‘This better be a boy!’ I lifted the box up, and saw Mark’s shoes sticking out, and I screamed!!! So I lifted the top of the box off, and lo and behold, there was a very handsome boy underneath with a bouquet of roses! My heart went pitter-pat, and my hands shook and then it came to me… I LOOK HORRIBLE! I was standing there like a wet dog! Why, oh why, didn’t I get ready this morning and be purposeful in my day?!? Then I thought, ‘Ahhhh well! I don’t care, I’m just happy Marky’s here!’ And I gave him a big hug and my dad videotaped it all… and then we had pizza!”

Man, it was grand. I was getting pretty warm in that box, so I’m glad Renee came when she did! We just got back from an appointment and I am so excited to be here. Now I’m going to get back to being with Renee and being OFF the computer! Ciao!

The most impressive title I’ve had on an entry yet.

Last night at Bible study we discussed John 3:1-18, which covers Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus in the cool of the night. Apparently, Nicodemus, this high-up Jewish leader, didn’t want the rest of his “leader-friends” to know that he was having this conversation with Jesus because they all pretty much hated Him. Well, he did anyway, but in the cover of darkness, just like you see in all the movies.

Anyway, Nicodemus was under the impression that because he was this really righteous dude that we would for sure be able to get into heaven, but, as Jesus pointed out, that’s pretty futile. Jesus said that you had to be “born again” to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Obviously, good ol’ Nic is pretty stunned because he knows that entering the womb again is pretty darn near to impossible. However, Jesus wasn’t talking about a physical birth, but a spiritual one. The birth was one of the Spirit.

So again, Nicodemus is confused. “How does that happen?” he asks in paraphrase format. Jesus answers, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The key is the belief, the trust, the faith–placed in a person, the Son of God, who was (and is) Jesus.

We had a great time, and God taught us a lot. The Gospel is powerful. It gets right to the point. And it is life, and this is what I am coming to realize more and more–that true life is found in God’s own Son, Jesus.

I just wanted to say that I really like Renee. She’s AWESOME! Celebration in six days! I still can’t believe that I’m dating her. Wow!!!

That’s all for today! Everyone, enjoy your Tuesday and have a wonderful week. It’s almost humpday!

Updated: pictures from Shoney’s.

After reading incredibly exciting material for Organizational Behavior, I do believe it’s time for an update. Enough about global environments, advanced in technology, and quality management.

Tim and Scott and I went out to breakfast this morning, and had a jim-dandy time. Tim told us of his adventures in Colorado with his lively bride, Jeni, while Scott and I listened intently. We also reminisced of days’ past, when we would slide down stairs on couch cushions, eat entire Rubbermaid tubs of butterscotch cookies, and play video games and shoot BB guns. He and Jeni, along with his family, are all up at a cabin that I went to with him years ago. Many fond memories of that place.

Now, I just found out that Scott is grilling burgers on the grill tonight. I guess that makes sense. You usually grill on a grill. So that above sentence is pretty redundant. Anyway, I’m going to stop off and grab me some. Then I’m off again.