Danger Everywhere

Recently my class and I were put out into the field for a training course. Before the course began we were given a safety brief.
Instructor:

"Alright class, here's the down low, everything out here will kill you or injure you. First, there are rattle snakes out here, if you hear them, merely go around them at a safe distance. Next, there is a cougar, she has two cubs. If you see her, don't run, don't turn around. Just maintain contact, and very slowly back away and she shouldn't bother you. Last class saw two brown bears out here. They are in the course area. If you see them, act bigger then you are and that should scare them off, if you find yourself being batted around, play dead, if they start eating you, fight for your life... Coyotes are your next concern, the four legged kind aren't going to bother you but you will hear the two legged kind on your radios. Don't go into the mountains, it's one of their favorite crossing areas. OH! and the trees, that kind over there, there, and there? Those have barbs which can stick up to an inch into your skin which we'll have to cut out. Also, watch where you lay down, the ants and scorpions are not your friends. Long story short, just about everything out here can kill you."

Student:

"Good grief, is there anything else? Chupacabras perhaps?"

C2H5OH and Temperance

I recently was given a book to slowly peruse titled, "The Quotable Founding Fathers." It is from such book that I have finally decided to give up any form of alcohol for the time being. I have thought about this for quite some time and even though I do not believe that alcohol is a bad thing in moderation I find myself with numerous reasons to test its absence in my life. For instance, Washington Irving wrote in the "Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon" in 1820 that, "They who drink beer will think beer." I have found that for many people I watch who drink excessively, their primary thought towards a weekend is when and where and what to drink. I have found myself wanting more and more to hold both thoughts and actions captive and focus more on developing myself deeper emotionally, physically and mentally. To be intentional in my actions and thoughts ultimately.
Beyond this general idea, I find myself in Arizona for several months. The weather is very arid and the altitude higher than I'm used to. Ultimately, I enjoy the idea of not having to excessively rehydrate to counteract the dehydrating effects of C2H5OH. Either way, at minimum, I will not drink anything more until I finish training and leave Arizona.

Life

I've been contemplating a "see in your lifetime" list of places in the US. Here goes:

White Sands, New Mexico

The Maine Coast, Maine

The North Woods, Maine

Squam Lakes, New Hampshire

Stowe, Vermont

Concord, Massachusetts

Block Island, Rhode Island

Mystic, Connecticut

Niagara Falls, New York

The Cloisters, New York

Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania
and Here

Falling Water, Pennsylvania

Washington, D.C.


Outer Banks, North Carolina

Sanibel Island, Florida

Florida Keys, Florida

Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri

The French Quarter, Louisiana

Beavers Bend, OK


Chimney Rock, Nebraska

Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota

Glacier National Park, Montana
and Here

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

The Tetons, Wyoming

The Anasazi Ruins, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Monument Valley, Arizona and Utah


Zion National Park, Utah

Mount Rainier, Washington (So close to it while in WA, but not close enough)

Seattle, Washington

Multnomah Falls, Oregon


San Francisco, California

Yosemite, California

Kilauea, Hawaii

The Na Pali Coast, Hawaii

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

New Frontiers and New Limits

I have recently been thinking about "To Do" lists and how beneficial they can be. I also recognize that most people go through a day without a goal or idea of what should be accomplished. This isn't necessarily a bad way to live, but I would rather take advantage of every second, to exploit every moment. I want to grow through life rather than go through it. So here it is folks, a list of goals which I want to accomplish. I will continue updating and adding to it as I go. This is my life's proverbial "Bucket List."

Physical:
Run 20 miles a week
Run a half marathon
Run a 11:30 min 2 mil
Have a resting heart rate 65 bpm or lower
Score a 300 on my APFT - Completed
500 flutter kicks (triple count)
500 overhead arm claps (triple count)
Hang sideways
Hit 200lbs body weight, with no more than 6% body fat.

Cultural/Societal:
Learn German
Learn Italian
Learn 20 recipes for memory
Learn an entire Piano Concerto
Compose either a harp or piano piece
Learn to play guitar (more transportable than harp/piano)

Spiritual:
Memorize the books of the Bible
Memorize a Chapter from Psalms
Memorize a Chapter from the Gospels
Heal the sick



Mental:
Write a min of 550 letters
Become adapted to no more than 6 hours of sleep a night.Completed

Additional categories should be added later.

Marvelous

I have for a long time wanted to be the outdoorsie type of person, adventuring, exploring, learning, experiencing. I always thought this personification of self would occur at some climatic outdoor trip, that I would just... dissolve into said idea.

It dawned me today after reading several random quotes I found that so many of us are just waiting for our life to happen. Life will happen, but not the life that we so long and pine for, the life that we hope and dream to live, only life in general will happen, and it will pass us by in a blur. I then realized that we don't remember days, but rather, moments. Jerry Spinelli once wrote,

"Live today, not yesterday, not tomorrow. Just today, inhabit your moments. Don't rent them out to tomorrow."

So in the spirit of adventure, I donned my vibram toe shoes and decided to seize the day. After trekking through unpleasant terrain I came across a river I occasionally run by. I followed it hoping to cross. Finally I came to a side gully that fed into it with minimal water flowing. It was here I started my marvelous day. Hopping down onto a small sand bar, I immediately sunk into icy cold water and mud. After following this inlet to the stream I hopped over several rocks and explored the sand/rock bar. Looking around I saw a great deal of ice still frozen around the sand. I decided to experience two miracles at once and walked on water, which by the sheer odd nature of it being polar allows it to freeze. It was there that I stood on a thin sheet of ice and watched as a minnow darted to and fro beneath that layer and me. With my feet beginning to numb I opted to hightail it back to my room, post this and now I shall go and fix my favorite spicy ramen thanks to the provision made by my eldest bro Kurt.

What an exciting start to an exciting change of mind. Absolutely marvelous...

My Heart

I was payed a high compliment awhile back and it stuck deep in my heart. This compliment was payed by an old family friend which until recently had only been around me until I was nine years old. Twelve years later I was blessed with the opportunity to come in contact with him again. During the few days of interaction with him my demeanor had apparently so impressed him, that he started speaking of his grand daughter. Ultimately the compliment payed to me was that he hoped one day his grand daughter might meet a young man like me. This encouraged and blessed me greatly. Although I do not believe I am yet such a man, I believe as I continue seeking after God that I will one day become such a man. A man I imagine with character absolute and values strong and true, able to offer a helping hand at any time.

This began a thought, this thought turned into a musing, this musing became an idea, and that idea bloomed into the hope of what the converse might be. What might this woman look like, what values and virtues might she hold? So I asked God, "What would she be like?" To my mind he reminded me of two ideas, one a quote, the other a desire. The first of which, is that

She be so lost in God, that I must seek Him to find her. The second, That she loves God more than she loves me.

Perhaps one stipulates the other, I don't know. What I do know, and hope, and pray for, is that one day I might meet that young woman who was told, "I hope my grandson might meet a young woman like you some day."

LDAC and Air Assault

I will be gone for the majority of this Summer. I will be up at Ft. Lewis, Washington and then Ft. Knox, Kentucky until July 31st. I am without a phone during this time. If you would like to get ahold of me my address for the first 30 days (14June-12July) will be:

Stephan K McKee
ROTC Warrior Forge
1st Regiment
Box 339543
Ft. Lewis, WA 98433-9543

Have a great Summer.

Attitude

Friday, eight thirty in the morning. 2 mile run for my diagnostic physical fitness test with the OU Army ROTC. My normal time is 12:20. My time that morning? 14:25. 13 minutes is the max. As you might figure out, I was very displeased and dissatisfied. Running post-dawn is one of my least favorite activities. Heat and humidity are not my friends.

It was at this that I remembered a lesson I learned several months ago while reading the book "How to Win and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. (Which on a side note I highly recommend for every individual, it is an indispensable read.) What is this lesson you might ask? It is simply the idea that,

Attitude creates action, but when attitude is inadequate, forced action will create attitude.

Simply put, my attitude was that running in humidity and heat is a pain. As a result, my action suffered. So I forced the action by running a mile every hour on the hour from nine in the morning till 2 in the afternoon. I have been enjoying the weather more and am finding running in the heat is easier now.

This idea of attitude is applicable in many circumstances. For instance, if an individual is having a difficulty with complaining or depression, turn on some worship music and just begin thanking God and praising Him for all that He has done. Continue until your attitude reflects your actions.

On a side note, when was the last time we as individuals have thanked our Heavenly Father or even our parents for what they've done for us? Just last year I recall thanking my dad for my bike. I use it on a continual basis and it has brought me great joy. It was given to me over 8 years ago...

Stop

Look around right now at everything you have, your family, friends, possessions, capabilities, do you still appreciate them? As cliche as it may be, your situation could always be worse, look around to our surrounding nations, look at Haiti, look at the slums in India, look at the persecution in China, we have it made. Let's show some appreciation for anything and everything shall we?

Renewal

So, after a hiatus of a couple of years I have decided to revive the 'ol blog. It's been quite some time with many new lessons learned and situations dealt with but I believe I've come out ahead.

Mostly likely I will use this forum as a means to convey what's currently occurring in my live as well as what I might be learning or have figured out. I would like to encourage feedback as well as meaningful discussion. As I've looked back at past posts from high school I've found many comments and posts to be mainly mindless chatter and quips of silliness.

So to begin this renewal as something fresh here is something that I was musing over earlier.

I was thinking discussing some ideas with a close mentor of mine and found myself in a conversation which requested prayer. As the day continued the topic of discussion persisted in my mind and I started praying. But as I began praying I wasn't broaching the topic that required prayer, instead I was just generally praying. Now please don't misunderstand, I do believe that prayer should not jump directly to what we want but should always begin with humbling ourselves before the Lord and thanking and praising Him for all that He's done. A grateful heart no matter the circumstance always sets the tone well. However, I found myself with a mindset that I needed to spend several days praying and speaking with God before I even brought the topic of discussion up. In my mind I had somehow justified the idea of performance. The notion that I had to "get closer" before He would answer a prayer of greater "depth". Aka, I had to spend X amount of time and umpty ump amount of non-topic specific prayer before I could approach the idea. As soon as I recognized this I laughed at the concept that my prayer was supposedly merit based.

So in this light I would encourage all of you to not tarry in whatever thing you need answered as God is always and immediately ready to listen and respond to you. You are, after all, a beloved child of His which He sacrificed his own son for. If that doesn't reflect the gravity of His feeling towards you then you may want to spend some time pondering on the idea.

Car Wreck

Uncertainty

So several weeks ago, more than a month in fact I went up to Mizzou to apply for an Army ROTC scholarship. After being told that I had a very competitive application I was told they would make their choice by the 26th of Jan....Needless to say, it's been more than a month. My prayers were always for God to close the door if I wasn't supposed to go the way of Army. But to keep the door open and let everything go smoothly if I was. After thinking that too much time had passed and a settled spirit about not doing the ROTC program, I have received a letter. I am approved for the Army ROTC 4 year scholarship. If I so choose to except I will, starting my sophomore year, be obligated to serve 8 years after I graduate. 4 years active duty, and 4 non-active. I've told people I thought this a good idea because nowadays I would build many student loans up and take several years to pay them off. Or I could go the way of the Army, have all my tuition paid for, and have a job as soon as I graduate. The issue is still convincing myself of that.
As soon as I opened the letter and found to my suprise that I was accepted I thought, I'll fast all day tomorrow and really settle down and pray about it, making sure it's God's will.....One problem with that. Many times, although most people don't realize it, prayer can be a hinderance. It can get in the way when God has already told you yes. It acts as a blockade.(I'll elaborate if anyone would like) Many times we're wanting God to lay everything out for us to see, to know everything before we take a step forward. Most of the time God wants us to step out not knowing everything, and in that initial moment we're relying entirely on Him.
I'm willing to step forward. Nervously yet calm I plan to attend Westminster on a Army ROTC 4 year scholarship. You could say, "I'm stepping with certainty into the uncertain."

Quotes w/Mom

Mom: "Stephan, do you want some salad?"
Me: "Salad? What in the world are you talking about?!"
Me: @Dad: "I think mom's got the food pyramid all messed up."
Dad: "Yeah?"
Me: "Meat is on top, followed by sugar and salt. After that, meat, meat, meat, styrofoam, and finally 'vegetables, as few a possible'"
Mom: "Well you know in the Bible Daniel ate vegetables.."
Me: "AND LOOK where it got him! He was thrown into the lion's den!"
Mom: "He didn't get eaten though"
Me: "OF COURSE NOT, all he had been eating was vegetables!"

Quotes w/Dad

Me: @ mom, "I'm pretty sure dad is the one who did it."
Dad: "What are we talking about?"
Me: "Not much, I'm just blaming you for something that you have no knowledge about."
Dad: "Gee, thanks. What are dads good for after all I guess..."
Me: "Taking the fall for their sons no doubt. It's repayment after all."
Dad: "Oh, how so?"
Me: "Well we had a pretty big fall from the tree. Newton wasn't kind to us at all."

Mystery

I'm sitting at the computer right now. I'm sure some of you were able to come to that conclusion fairly well. Others, well you know who you are..

Anyway, maybe this post will actually receive some comments because of it's topic. You see right now, I have this weird feelings. I don't know how to explain it, but it just feels like it's going to tear me in half. I've been feeling this way for the better part of the afternoon and evening and don't know what's causing it, or how to get rid of it. I don't even know if I want to get rid of it. All I know is that it feels like I'm missing something, something key. It's like a mix between being pulled, and a longing or pining for something. I have an idea as I write this, what it might be, but I'd like to know what you; my rare, and select readers, think it is. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? Have you ever had such a feeling, or one you think is similar? What were you doing that it happened to you, and how did you resolve it? Did you just ignore it the best you could and let it dismiss itself, or was there something that helped?

If any of you see me in the next couple of days, I might be torn in two. But maybe that's it. Two, two sides of me. Could it be that? There are so many different opposing pairs out there. Could one of them explain what I'm feeling? Yen and Yang, Good and Evil, Flesh and Spirit.

Oh for an ounce of insight, or maybe a liter. Any would be nice. (yes I'm aware that I changed units 'ounce' to 'liter')

Christmas Break

The semester is finally over and I'm sure most of us agree; we're glad for Christmas break. It's a time of get-to-gethers and running around. Many of us will be going on vacation to visit family, others spending time shopping. However this is the time of year that many Christians are constantly reminded about making sure we don't forget what this season is really about. Jesus Christ and his birth. We will hear this message from our pastors on Sunday morning, we will hear it from Christmas Eve services. We'll hear it from Christmas musicals/plays. Being told time after time seems to make the message redundant. Why is it that everytime we sit and are told this message we hear, but don't listen? Do any of us purposefully dictate our time in any way to praise and thank our God? Do we prioritize our schedule so that we make sure to turn our eyes to our heavenly Father? How many of us actually listen to what's being said and make a concious decision to dedicate some of our "precious" Christmas break? This Christmas I'm going to make changes. I can only hope and pray that you will as well make this time about Christ. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Sooner Saturday

So this past Saturday I went to the OU sponsored "Sooner Saturday." This is where a prospective highschool senior goes to find out what OU offers. Throughout the entire day he get to tour everything from the rooms to the cafeteria and everything in between. I went around and visited the Army ROTC (reserve officer training core) I talked with a Captain there, and that was slightly helpful. He invited me to come out and see and maybe partake in the drilling they go through. Just to see if I like it. He also said I could try out some of their other stuff. I.e. Paintball. Honestly I think that'd be great. Get to play paintball with Army officers.

Besides that I visited the Health and Science building. During that time I went down to a certain field, I don't remember the name of it right now, but I had my body fat percentage measured. Somehow at the end of that test the guy in charge asked if I wanted to do this semi-regularly. I asked what I'd be doing, and he said basically I'd have my bone density measured and bfp (body fat percentage) measured, because during htis time most guys testorone levels rise and they're able to put on mass and muscle more easily. I'd would also be running basically until my legs gave out. The purpose of that would be seeing how good my endurance and lung capacity is. Also how good of shape I'm in. In other words people, I have reached my life's goal. I am offically a lab rat! W00T!!!

I still don't really know where I'm going to college. I've been told by some people that I better not go out of state, but honestly if that's where God wants me to go then I figure I'd better.

Hasta

bleh

So my thoughts are jumbled and I don't really feel like blogging but I'll put a few quotes that have provoked some thought.

Esse quam videri
(To be, rather than to appear)

No man, for any considerable period of time, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the truth.
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

These two quotes remind of the song by Switchfoot, "Are you who you wanna be?"
Better yet are you who God wants you to be?
As Frederick Buechner says,

"The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

Have you found what God wants you to be? What you enjoy doing? What you're good at? Those questions remind me of a story I heard about a body builder. He was standing before a judge and flexed. To which the judge replied non-chalantly, "what do you use all those muscles for?" The body builder looked confused, but decided the judge must not have realized, so he flexed a magnifient pose again, and the crowd roared. But again the judge spoke, "I see all the muscle and it's alot, but what do you use it for? Three times he asked this question, the body builder had no idea what he used it for.
I find that this story is trying to get people to realize what their talents are, what skills they have, and then find how they can best utilize it. After all God has made each and everyone of us special, and do we not have a specific purpose that God made us for? Aren't we each a part of the body of Christ?
So in ending, Are you who you want to be? Are you the person God means for you to be? I know it's a struggle to find out, but isn't it worth it to find your place? Bruce Cockburn said it perfectly.

"Nothing, nothing, worth having comes without some kind of fight.

Deepest Fear

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Be uplifted and make a change in your life.

Reviving

ahh finally it's good to be back. For those of you who thought my site was an DNRO then you didn't really know me. Anywho I'm back now I believe. (we'll see if it's true in the next couple of weeks)

Update time.

Choir tour was awesome, though I heard giggling and the word "cute" too many times thanks to all the freshman and second year freshman. We went to L.A. and San Diego, which included Disney Land and Universal Studios. We also went to the USMC (United States Marine Core) that was awesome!
Got back from tour and had a couple of weeks of relaxation and then went and paged at the capitol for Sen. Cal Hobson. I enjoyed that entire experience and I think everyone should do it at least once. Since I didn't want to commute I stayed up at the capitol at Amerisuites with Dustin M. I came home on Friday afternoon, packed and played games with Dustin.
First thing the next morning we headed out to Boys State, which is located at NEO in Miami, Oklahoma. That is another experience everyone should try. As long as you participate you'll have fun. At boys state there is something that everyone does. and that is....Marching! Whether we're going to class, chow hall,(meals) or flag raising we march. While marching we sing cadences or aka "jodies." Jodies are rhymes that everyone sings/shouts at the same time to help keep in time. I'll list a couple right now. Schulenberg so you know is the city I was a part of.

Stay in step now stay in time
Walk with purpose march with pride
We know it's hot we know it's dry
But always hold our head up high
Schulenberg has got the stuff
We won't back down we will not bluff


God bless all the men who died
As we march we hold their pride
We are here to honor you
Will keep old Glory flying true

(Last but not least, one of my personal favorites.)
I wish I was back on the block
But now I'm out here stompin rock
Good ole' seargent made us march
Til' our moves are crisp with starch
Schulenberg's the place to be
We do it right so follow me
You know that we will be on top
Schulenberg pride won't let us stop.

The third rhyme was originally "Haven't seen a girl in days
Cept the one washing trays"
But we changed because another city accused us of basing it off one of theirs.

The deal with that verse is that on the second day you realize something. There is not a single girl there. There was one that worked there at lunch. That was it. Ergo that rhyme was created.

Anyway that's over now, and it's back to life at home. This Summer is still filled with many things some of which I'll go over.
1. my mom's has checked out the SWCA football team. That's right football, for me to play on. Insane huh?
2. There are multiple volleyball camps I'm considering
3. I'm almost positive that I'm going to start another job, and depending if I like it, I'll turn in my 2 weeks notice at my other job.
4. My brother is going to teach me Trig over the summer on Monday and Thursday nights
5. I'm checking into colleges like everyone else, except one key thing is what ROTC branches they have. It's almost entirely certain that I'm going to join some form of Military. I'm leaning towards Air Force, and Marines. Both of them are good.

If all of you could keep me in your prayers, that God give me wisdom, discernment, and ears to hear His plans for me I'd appreciate it. I'll try and keep you all uptodate. Thank you much, and I'll write more later.

Offerings

First off this is not someothing that I have written. I actually found this online and thought it to be insightful and possibly helpful to many people. I was wanting to post something with meaning, but am failing to come up with something myself. So enjoy and please take heed.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering.(Romans 12:1)

When you think about an offering, what do you think about? I know that I tend to think about finding some money that I don't have or some sacrifice, again of something that I really don't have.

But that is one of the cool things about this verse. God is saying take your ordinary life - yeh - the one that you live. And then Eugene Peterson paints a picture of what this could mean for us. The thing that I think is great is that so often we go through the routines of these things and forget to place these parts of our lives before God. These parts are just as important as the others.

Another thing that I think is interesting is the phrase "with God's help." The reason I think this is interesting is that most of us don't need any help to go through our day to day grind. Ah yes, but we surely do. Isn't it in the daily grind that every aspect of our lives take place. The times of rest and relaxation come few and far between. And when they do come, for most of us it is "our" time - not time to offer a sacrifice to God.

I am challenged by this verse to look for ways in my daily grind to offer my life to God, every part as an offering to God. What do you think this could look like in real life?