Procrastination.

Geeze louise, J-term went fast. Two more days of class! Ok, I'm not even going to pretend to act surprised, because I knew it would go fast... it's only 3 weeks. I guess it just went a little faster than I'd hoped it would.

I'm supposed to be reading my book for my extra credit paper right now, but of course, since we all know how great I am at procrastinating... a little blog update.

Unsorted thoughts in no particular order:

1. Contemp is a bad class to take for J-term. I am burnt out.
2. Paul leaves for Ireland in five days. Five. (Super bittersweet...)
3. Speaking of Paul... he, his roommate, and I recently consumed 6-shot venti Starbucks drinks... for fun... with minimal caffeine effects. (Not good? But OH so fun!)

4. C.S. Lewis is THE MAN. I forgot how much I love him.
5. Rach and I redecorated the apartment. It's chic. Stayed tuned for pics?
6. I think it's really funny when people 'advertise' their blogs via facebook status. And it seems like it's been happening frequently... Please slap me on the face if I ever do that!
7. I have found my life calling. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Paul and I worked the latte bar at our church this morning. (Yes, our church has an espresso machine. We don't mess around!) It was our first time working, and I was a little nervous since it had been awhile since we'd been trained. But guys, it was like riding a bicycle. Paul pulled the shots. I steamed the milk. And it was beautiful. The thrill of the controlled chaos behind the counter and of caffeinating the church body made me want to be a barista more than anything. Something just clicked in me... and in Paul, too. We were giddy. I love when service intersects with interests and passions. :)
8. My Dad is doing well. He had his first round of chemo on Friday. My mom said that other than being tired, he's done incredibly well thus far. Thank you for your prayers! Please keep them coming.
9. I was supposed to job hunt over J-term and I haven't done squat. Any thoughts, encouragement, or hook-ups would be appreciated. Ha. I... really need to get on that.
10. Conveniently, at number 10, I'm finally tired. Guess I'm going to bed. (Sorry, extra credit reading.)

Goodnight, friends.

No good, very bad day.

I'm sure you've had one. The no good, very bad day. You might have read that children's book from long ago. But little Alexander (that's his name, right?) has nothing on this chick. Today sucked.

I mean, it had its good moments. But it was, in general, horrible. The perfect storm. It could have been redeemed, I think, until I spilled tomato soup all down the front of my white hoodie in my Contemporary Christian Belief class (Grille food TO-GO because I was running late... of course). After that, it was pretty much doomed. I will spare you all the intricate "of course that would happen to Blake" details, though I suppose some of them would be entertaining after the fact. (And some of them not... I'm emotionally exhausted and strung out... my heart is tired from caring, hurting, hoping.) Let's just say, I am glad this world is not my home. I know that Jesus said that we will have trials in this world... but to take heart because he has OVERCOME the world... which is comforting to remind myself. But it still sucks.

I'm thankful for the friends he's placed in my life to remind me that it's ok. It is ok, though. It really is. Jesus told us to take heart. Take heart. It sounds slightly more simple, more poetic... a little more beautiful than I feel right now. I'm a freaking trainwreck. But I'm pretty sure that Jesus accepts the trainwrecks... with open arms... which I'm rather thankful for.

Please keep praying for my fam. They need it. I need it.

Good news.

I've had a lot of thoughts running through my head lately; a lot of blogposts I still think I should share. (Later.) :)

For now, I just want to say a quick thank you for the prayers and Birthday wishes and love. And also, to give you a little update. Ready for some good news? My dad's cancer is supposedly pretty treatable. He's going to go through several rounds of chemo over the next 6 months. The doctors seem confident about it.

This is AWESOME news, but my Dad still needs prayer, so please keep him in yours.

I have to go, but one more thing... I am astounded by the beauty of the body of Christ. Thanks for the part you play in it. I'm convinced God is going to work through this in big ways.

Love,
Blake

And... another update.

Guys. Thank you so much for your love and prayers for my dad. And for your comments. They help.

His procedure went well yesterday, but the results showed that he does have lymphoma cancer. We don't know what type/stage yet... hopefully we'll know more by the end of this week. I'll keep you posted. Please keep praying.

So... tomorrow's my birthday... and my dad's. I mean, I've spent three birthdays away from home, but this year, in light of all this, it just feels weird not being home. At the same time, I'm kind of.. numb? Life has been so up and down, I don't know what to feel. I guess I'm just being guarded until I know more information.

But again... thank you for being there and for caring.

Update on my dad.

I promised people I'd update them, but I don't have much time... so I'm putting it here for now. My dad's doctor is about 90% sure he has cancer of some form. They think Lymphoma. It's good news he doesn't have lung cancer like they thought, but... yeah. Still not so great. His surgery is scheduled for Tuesday. After that, they'll know for sure what's going on and what has to be done next. Regardless, it will be a long road for him. So please keep him/my family in your prayers. Thanks tons.

Love,
Blake