So I'm beginning to realize how dull my entries are. Especially since I've been home, I feel like I'm not learning the things I was at school. Well, of course not, because, I'm not in school and in class, but still. I feel like I should still be growing and learning (especially with Bible Study and Rock Solid) but I don't feel like I really am. As much as I hate all the studying and the papers and the all-nighters, I really miss school and part of me wishes I could go to school forever. I don't know. I'm just ready to be back. I think I said that before somewhere in this journal thing. But I am. I'm really looking forward to the classes I have this coming semester, too. They are all for my majors so that's going to make it even more fun.

A week or so ago I was talking to one of my friends who will be a freshman at AU next year, and she asked me if my spiritual life was better or worse when I was at school. I had never thought about it in a comparision like that before. I always just think "I'm not very close to God right now" or "I am close to God right now." Thinking about it in comparison really was good for me. When I'm home for the summer I have all this free time (especially this summer when I'm not working right now) and I have Prayer Night, Small Group, and Bible Study with my friends and then also Sunday School and church. I could be using all this free time to at least read the Bible a little bit, but I don't. I've never been good about doing that. Small Group and Bible study have been good, but this summer, right now, no I am not very close to God. And that was something I wanted to work on this summer. When I'm at school, it fluctuates (or however you spell that) so much. Being constantly surrounded in a Christian environment (not that I'm not here, but just more so there) with Focus Group, Chapel, Bible study (oh man, I miss Meagan, Erin, Gene, Marty...), and just every day conversations, when I am close to God, I'm a lot closer than when I'm close to him when I'm home. I have no idea if that sentence made any sense. And then my Christian Ministry classes help a lot too... they really help me look at things in a different way. I'm kinda sad that I only have one C-min class this semester. But oh well. I don't really have anything to say right now anymore. No concluding thoughts. My brain doesn't work that way. So... good night.

I've never believed in ghosts. I've heard stories of people saying they see or feel or hear weird things that they think might be ghosts but I've never had it happen to me. Until today. My mom and I were sitting in my bedroom playing Super Mario Brothers (yes, she plays it with me) and my brother's dog was sitting by my bedroom door. We were the only ones home. The only other person who has a key to the front door is my brother. He was at work, and we always keep the front door locked. We were sitting there playing and Pepper (the dog) started barking like someone was there, and my mom and I BOTH heard the front door open and close, and my mom was like "John must be home early." So she went to go say hi to him, but no one was there, the front door was still locked, and there were no cars in the driveway (Besides our own) or anything... so that's just kinda weird, that we BOTH heard the door open and that pepper barked BEFORE the door opened like he usually does when someone really is there. So there have been times when I've wondered if ghosts do exist. Like if when we die we don't go to heaven or hell until after the Rapture or something like that... who knows (other than God).

Currently Playing
Professional Rapper
By John Reuben
- Life Is Short

Summer. Not my favorite season (that's the one that comes next) but it's still great. Last night my friends and I went down to the beach around 11:30pm and played on the swings. Then later we went and sat at the water's edge watching lightning hit the water (far away, we were not in danger). Everything was so black, the water and the sky. And then you could see light come from behind a cloud, and then other times you could see an actual bolt come down and strike the dark water. And then we could hear the low rumble of the thunder, and the sound of the water washing up on the shore, inches from our feet. It's such an amazing thing God does for us. Now, to really picture this (if you're not from around here or have never been to one of the Great Lakes), Lake Michigan, like all the Great Lakes is not just a really big lake. It's a really big lake that you cannot see the end of (similar to the ocean)... except on the ocasional REALLY, REALLY clear day where you can see a little gray dot, which is the Sears Tower in Chicago. But anyway, it's pretty massive. So it's just amazing to sit there surrounded by this body of water that God designed just for our enjoyment. That's really all I have to say today. OH! And I fixed my computer. Yay for me!