Luke -- *sits down at computer* *checks facebook* *wonders what else there is to do* *starts to get up* *sits back down* *types in www.xanga.com* *responds to 2 messages* *looks at my subscriptions and sees that nobody has updated recently* *starts to get up, but first agrees with Rachel that it's getting lonely on here* 

so yeah... anyways... wait... why am I posting on xanga about xanga being dead? well, I guess it's not really dead... just to some people. but, I really didn't have anything to post about now... but maybe sometime soon I will. Until then, yall behave yourselves. j/k - that was totally random.

I'm baaaack!!!

well, tomorrow morning dark and early we're leaving for choir tour. I'm really sorry for those of you who can't make it... you're really gonna be missed. but, if you don't mind, just hold down the fort here in Texas. God Bless!

THE PARABLE OF THE DONUT

            A Religion Professor named Dr. Christiansen taught a required survey of Christianity course at small college. Every freshman was required to take the course regardless of his or her major. Although he tried hard to communicate the gospel, students viewed the class as nothing more than a waste of time.

One particular year Dr. Christiansen had a student named Steve. Steve was the Center for the college football team and also a strong Christian intent on going to Seminary. One day Dr. Christiansen had an idea and he asked Steve to stay after class. "How many push ups can you do?" He asked. Steve said, "I do 200 every night." The professor asked Steve if he could do 300. "I have never done 300 before" Steve said, "but I think I can do it." "Good," the professor said, and he proceeded to tell his plan to Steve.

Friday came and Steve got to class early. Dr. Christiansen came in with
 a large box of fluffy, cream filled doughnuts. The class was excited, it was Friday the last class of the day, and they could start their weekend early. Dr. Christiansen went to the first girl in the row and asked, "Cynthia would you like a donut?" "Yes," she said. Dr. Christiansen then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve jumped down out of his desk and counted off ten push ups. Dr. Christiansen laid the donut on Cynthia’s desk. Joe was next. He asked Joe the same question and Joe said "yes." Steve did 10 more pushups and the professor laid the doughnut on Joe’s desk. And so it went all the way down the first row and half way down the second until it came to Scott. He was a basketball player and friendly to female companionship. Scott replied to the professor’s question by saying, "I want the doughnut if I can do my own push ups." Dr. Christiansen said, "No Steve has to do the pushups." Then Scott said, "Well I don’t want one if I can’t do my own." Dr. Christian turned around and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want." Scott said, "hey! I said I didn’t want one!" Dr. Christiansen said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts, Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it." And he put the donut on Scott’s desk. Steve had begun to slow down a little and sweat had begun to form on his cheeks. Dr. Christiansen started down the third row. Students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christiansen asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "NO!" Then Dr. Christiansen asked, "Steve, would you do ten more push ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?" Steve did ten-Jenny got a doughnut. By now a sense of uneasiness had filled the room. The students were all beginning to say "no." There were uneaten donuts on every desk. Steve was now putting forth a lot of extra effort to get the pushups done for each doughnut. A small pool of sweat was on the floor, his face was red, and you could see the sweat soaking through his shirt.

Dr. Christiansen asked Robert, the most vocal unbeliever in class, to watch to make sure Steve did the full ten. Dr. Christiansen started down the forth row. Students from other classes had came in and were sitting along the side of the room watching on. When the professor saw them he counted and saw that there were now 34 people in the room. He was worried about Steve, "Could he do that many push ups?" Jason, a recent transfer student, didn’t know what was going on and came in to see. The class yelled, "Go away! Don’t come in!" Steve picked up his head and said, "Let him come in." Jason was asked and he said "yes." "Steve will you do ten push ups so Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great struggle. Jason, confused, was handed a donut and he sat down. Dr. Christiansen then finished the fourth row and began on the visitors. Steve’s arms were shaking uncontrollably with each push up. By this time sweat was pouring off of his face and arms. The very last two students were cheerleaders. "Linda, do you want a donut?" Linda cried and said, "No thank you." Professor turned to Steve, "Steve would you do ten push ups so Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push ups for Linda. The last girl was Susan. "Susan would you like a donut?" Susan was full of tears and did not answer. "Steve would you do ten push ups so Susan can have a donut?" Susan asked, "Dr. Christiansen why can’t I help him?" Dr. Christiansen had tears in his eyes also and replied, "I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party I looked at the grade book and found that Steve was the only person with a perfect grade. All of you had failed a test, skipped class, or turned in inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

Steve slowly got up off the floor, he had done 350 push ups, his arms buckled beneath him as he started to get up. Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done good and faithful servant", said the professor, "not all sermons are preached in words class." Turning to the students the professor said, "My wish is that you may fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God did not spare His only Son but gave him up for all of us. Whether or not we accept His gift is our choice. The price has been paid. Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?”

Sooooo, in case you hadn't heard already, I went to Oklahoma City for the National Homeschool Basketball Tournament this past week. /Looking back/ it was a lot of fun, even if it didn't seem like it the whole time we (Joel brought me) were gone. Our team didn't do too bad, but we didn't win the whole thing either. We were something like 7th place over all in our division. Here's how the week went - in a shortened version:

Sunday we left at about 3:45 in the afternoon, and drove to OKC. That took about three and a half to four hours, and then we settled into our rooms and ate dinner, that was pretty much all for that day. Then on Monday we registered at the tournament "headquarters", and that night we had a game. We won by like 30 points, which was a good boost of momentum for the week. Tuesday I went to all of our other teams' games, then we were supposed to play at 8pm that night, but the games before ours took a little longer than expected, so it was more like 9:15 - which made for a late night (especially 'cause we went into overtime). we won that night 50-49, but it should have been more... Wednesday morning our youngest team had a game, and our regular assistant coach couldn't make it there, so our head coach asked me to be his assistant. it was fun to change it up a little. they lost, but they made a great effort. Later, after lunch, we went to a nearby gym and played basketball for a while. then on wednesday night we went to the "all-star weekend all in on night" thing called the "showcase". It was really fun, 'cause there was the all-star game (which one of our guys played in), then the three point shoot-out, then what everybody was wanting to see: the slam dunk contest. it was really neat! there were a lot of guys that could really slam it. Then we went back to the hotel... Thursday is when the bracket part of the tournament started. we played that night - and lost to the team that played in the Championship game today... That was really not good, 'cause it eliminated us from the championship game. but we lost friday night too, so it kinda didn't matter... but anyways, Friday was the last day that our junior varsity teams played their last games. they all won, so that was good - especially considering that our JV-blue team only won one other game all season. Soooo...where was I??? oh yeah, Friday we lost our game, then came Saturday -- oh yeah, today . Our youngest team won their last game this morning, then we checked out of the hotel at 11:30, ran to walmart, then ate lunch and went to the game. we got there at about 1, but our game wasn't supposed to be until 2:50. So I waited and watched the current game - which happened to be a girls' basketball game. I /think/ it was the championship game, but I wasn't really paying attention. anyways... we won our game - which was really good, considering we had like 4 seniors playing this year. So all in all, all of our teams won their last games this season.

Like I said, it was a lot of fun. A lot of people helped me have a good week by messaging me online, or whatever. It really was an interesting week. Like Joel said, I found out a lot about myself... and others. I'm glad I went. And I can't wait until tomorrow so I can see all my friends at the concert.

Anyways, if you're still reading this, thanks for listening. God Bless!