Graduation

Well I just graduated! Its a big relief to be done with High School. Don't get me wrong, Lebo High was great, but its time to move on. Anyway, while I was sitting listening to all the speeches people gave telling us to "make them proud", to "constantly work to right injustice", to "always seek to greatness", and to "leave your mark on the world" I started thinking that this is not the attitude of a servant. Most of the messages they gave us last night fueled our pride in our Leboness, and our own selfish ambitions. It just felt wrong, but I seemed to be the only one who noticed. It seemed like from this day on, everyone in my class began their journey to personal success and material wealth. And those folks up on the podium were to be the leaders of this success drive. Most of the folks in my class seemed pretty confident in their future successes, and I'm sure they'll get it, but I often wonder if they'll ever work for something bigger, if they'll ever really get it. Sure Mt. Lebanon's class of 2006 won six WPIAL titles, blew all other schools out of the water in academics, and did more charity work than any other class in recorded history, but in 5 years- or even 5 days, will any of that matter? Nope. "How quickly the glory of the world passes away!" (Thomas a Kempis). So as we begin our adult lives, I really pray that my class, or for that matter my generation, will one day understand that nothing we do in this world will mean anything without the love of God. "Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve him alone" (Tom Kemp). So that brings me to now: this summer, my goal is to work on being humble/or selfless and through that, be drawn closer to God, and maybe figure out what to do with my life. Racine '06!!!

"He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God's will and renounces his own is truly very learned." -Thomas a Kempis- The Imitation of Christ.

Prom '06

Well I just got back from prom and I can't sleep because I drank about four giant cups of beautifully strong coffee. I'll probably crash in a few hours, but now I'm up. Prom was great. I'm currently flushing all the dance music clutter out my head with heavy doses of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, U2, and Coldplay... it feels really good. We had a great time- dinner at Monterey Bay on Mt. Washington, sweet dance, and all my best friends. Great way to wrap up High School. Here's some sweet pictures.


My date Alysa and I



Our limo driver had the biggest yinzer accent ever


Me with Big Handsome Roy


Me and JJ, best friends since 2nd grade.

The One and only Xiao Dong



This is my boy- Josh. I cant say enough about this guy. We've been great friends since Kindergarden- way back in 1993- Wow I feel old.


Sarah & me.













Well this is where my batteries gave out. I know there's a shot of Steph, Sally, and me out there somewhere- so if you guys can get that to me, I'll put it up too. SENIORS '06!

Call of the Wild

So I'm reading the Imitation of Christ and I'm learning that the author, Thomas a Kempis is really in touch with God. This is a quote that's really been on my mind, "The more recollected a man is, and the more simple of heart he becomes, the easier he understands sublime things, for he receives the light of knowledge from above". I think this could be an answer to prayers, not only mine, but many others in the faith. If you rearrange the words & dumb them down a bit, your get, "If you become simple, you will understand the complex". Stax may be a prophet after all. But anyway, I think there is allot to be learned from this. I've noticed that its really hard to concentrate on God when there are a million distractions around you (noise, light, people). There is no such thing as silence today. That's part of the reason I do my devotionals at midnight or later- everyone else is asleep and its really quiet, well except for the refrigerator humm, the computer sounds, the cars outside, airplanes going overhead, and my cell phone. Ben C told me that when he was in Scotland, he had a lot of quiet reflection time because there wasn't a phone, or tv, or something. Ben K told me that had some time in college that was a time of isolation, reflection and focusing on God, and God's calling for his life. So I want to try this. Since I'm a naturalist, I think the best way for me to simplify my life in order to really focus on God is to get out there in the sticks. Really, really out there in the sticks for some time alone with God. I think it would really help me to connect with God, and he may even reveal some answers to questions I have about my life. I really think this could be a big thing. God has used the wilderness & isolation in powerful ways in the Bible. Moses encountered God in the wilderness before he began his ministry, the Israelites wandered the desert for years and were refined/cleansed/renewed, John the Baptist lived out there, and Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert before he began his ministry. I don't hold a light to any of these great men, but I figure the Spirit might be leading me out there for some time. (Yes I know the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days- that's not my goal). The goal would be simplicity, silence, and intimacy with the Lord in order to renew my mind. Maybe I'd do it alone, maybe with one other Christian friend looking for answers like I am. I don't know. But I definitely think God wants me to do this... soon. So if anyone out there is feeling a similar Godly Call of the Wild, talk to me.

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

This is the first of many books I hope to read this summer. Thomas a Kempis was a 15th century monk and he wrote this amazingly powerful book. Read it. Its just as powerful today as it was 500 years ago. I'll post quotes I think are awesome.

Chapter 1
"Vanity of vanities and all is vanity except to love God and serve Him alone".
"It is vanity to wish for a long life and to care little about a well spent life"
"Turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible".

Chapter 2
"The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely you will be judged, unless your life is also the more holy"
"Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and dilusion"
"He who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise"
"If you wish to learn and appriciate something worthwile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing"
"All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself"

That's all I have so far. It took me almost 2 hours to read the first 4 pages of this book because it is so dense. I'm going to nibble at it rather than blow through. I highlighted and marked the whole 4 pages up as well. Its really great when you can read without a schedule like in school. This 2nd chapter was really tough for me. Its rough. It sounds somwhat depressing. Regardless, this book is powerful. Wow.

I'm Dying Here!

Here's a question: What were you doung at 2:00 AM last night? Hopefully you were asleep. We'll since you asked, Last night at 2:00 AM, I was working on my Computer Science group project. AAAHHHHHHH. How can everyone else in my grade slack, yet I'm still working like a mailman (Bob for Pres). It wouldn't be that big of a deal if I wasn't a second semester senior, yesterday wasn't June 1, and Computer Science wasn't an elective, but I am, it was, and it is. After today I have three days left in this building, yet I still have over 7 hours of finals and a 15 minute speech to do. Great Thor's Hammer! Its June yo! Why am I working!!?? I'm so done with High School, so done.