FAREWELL CHRIS!

Isn't life funny? I have been going to the University of North Dakota now for just over three years, I happen to be working on my forth. Every year since I started attending I have lost all my friends from that year. You may think I am joking or only giving a half truth but it’s all true. My freshman year I had three friends Ian, Dave and Chester all three left. Ian and Chester went to UND's satellite school in Hawaii and Dave went back to Montana; out three friends. Then at the end of my sophomore year my new friend Ryan decided to drop out of school and go live at home; out another friend. Now my junior year was really awesome I had some really great friends, Chris being one of them. But that year has already come to a close and I have already had to say goodbye to Chris Shaw Gust a truly good friend. He is on his way to the southern end of France to a small town called Reberac where he will be employed teaching elementary children English.

It's kind of crazy how life works out. My freshman year I didn't follow the path Jesus wanted me to follow but instead was foolish and followed the ways of the world. There wasn't a friend of mine that I could have called Christian and so I fell into secular ways. I suffered from depression almost everyday, my heart felled by the weight of my own sin. Somehow I had forgotten what Jesus had done for me on the Cross and the liberation from sin that was extended to me on the day of my salvation. My second semester I began to realize the selfishness of my actions and the consequences I deserved for my disobedience. But then I rediscovered God's grace through his son Jesus Christ and I was once again able to understand and know that all my past actions were covered under His blood, I was set FREE!

Even after all this I still had my struggles and I might have taken the wayward path again if it wasn't for one person at Intervarsity, his name was Chris. It was the second semester of my sophomore year by the time I went, it had taken a whole semester of procrastination to get around to going. But it was where Jesus wanted me to be, something I didn't know at the time. You know it wasn't good worship music or incredible speakers that kept me coming back to IV instead it was one man being obedient to God's love in his life. Every week I came to IV Chris would come up to me and say Hello and talk to me. He even went so far as to sit next to me to make me feel welcome; this is absolutely unheard of in our generation. It was these simple acts of kindness and love that drew me back week after week until it was my home and my community. Chris was showing me what it meant to be a Christian and what it meant to love your neighbor. My life is forever changed by one man listening to the call of his Father.

POPCORN WEEK

Every now and again IV gets their name put into a raffle, the prize a whole week of selling popcorn. Our student government has a giant popcorn machine in the Memorial Union for student organizations to use. So this whole past week we have been doing this little fundraiser which ends up paying for speaker hotels and our paper campaign. I think we made close to $125 dollar which is pretty sweet. It's really fun because you get to know people in IV better and you meet new people.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIANCE!

LINNEA RUTH SHELTON IS NOW EIGHTEEN!!

WE CAN LEGALLY GET MARRIED NOW YAHOO!!

I LOVE YOU!!

CANOEING ON THE RED.

I said I would let you know how my canoeing experience went on Friday and now its Thursday of the following week . . . whoops. I do have an excuse, not a very good one though, I've been busy. But I am a man of my word so I will do what I said I would. Here we go my Friday.

I woke up at 6:30am for an 8am flight, the sun was just coming up and it promised to be a beautiful day. My body felt good and rested but my mind was a different story, talk about feeling spent. The flight was awesome, Grand Forks County is gorgeous in the morning and the sky is of the strongest azure. Grady my flight instructor was rather happy with my flying which always boosts ones confidence level.

My morning carried on rather well excluding the fact that I was a few minutes late to my Aircraft Systems class because of my flight thus missing a quiz. It wasn't really a big deal they aren't worth much point wise. The rest of the afternoon I putzed around doing errands and homework... and I might have snuck in a little recreational reading, hehe. The rest of my day wasn't spent in idle pleasures like my carefree summers but instead was spent like every Monday, Wednesday, Friday afternoon of my academic life -- in class.

As soon as class was over at 4:50 I rushed to the Memorial Union to meet everyone for THE VOYAGE ON THE RED . . . whoops again, as it turned out the rendezvous wasn't until five thirty. It didn't turn out too badly since my stomach was on empty and dinner time was rolling in and fortunately their is a food court in the Union supplying only the finest cuisine Sabbaro, A&W and some little known taco joint -- the whole place is a joke. My hunger and thirst now satisfied on a very old piece of pizza which was probably left over from lunch and even then I'm sure it wasn't worth three bucks and my thirst now quenched by a fruit beverage called "Naked" which oddly tasted like chalk. Soon after I finishing this appetizing meal my people began to arriving in tight little groups.

The group consisted of Chris, Pete, Paula, Sarah, Emelia, Jessica and I, we were a merry little group. We had to rent an extra canoe from the rec. center darn out 15 bucks but the most aggravating things was that it took twenty minutes and then getting it on my car another ten which meant that we didn't get to the water until 6:30. Pete our fearless leader led us downtown and then over Main Street bridge into East Grand Forks, where there is a boat launch. The whole unloading process went quickly but we were delayed yet again because my dear friend Chris was late. Are whole party finally made it onto the water only to be met by the terrific aroma of Simplot the local sugar beet processor. This smell is very pungent and is commonly mistaken as b.s. which I completely understand -- ahahak.

Our party slowly made it up river which means going south, crazy huh? It's one of those rare rivers that don't make sense flowing against all natural thought. The smell now left behind we made our way south stumbling across two beavers and a few non-descript birds. Eventually Lincoln park came into view where we decided to put in and a rest. The ladies in our group asked the most dreaded question a man can here "Is there a bathroom?"; wouldn't you know there was. After this stop and a quick pick me up, snickers and oreo cookies we headed for home. The return was an uneventful one with only one change being made, instead of riding with Sarah and Emelia I switched to Chris's canoe and let the woman have one all to themselves.

Later that evening we sat around the telly watching Joe Black while sipping Doctor Pepper until two in the morning. What a day!

SUNFLAKE CITY

Can you believe it? In a few months this city, this county and this state will turn into a wasteland (see picture below). But the question everyone is asking is how the hell can it look so beautiful in the summer? Some might say it's the good ol' North Dakota charm or they might even mention the good little pixies that run around making everything green and beautiful...nope their all wrong. Its a lie and a trick. The way I see it the whole state is one big trap, who knows how you hear about us maybe you stumbled onto the Teddy Roosevelt State Park website and saw rolling prairies and you said WOW I am going take my family on a road trip and before you know it you live here. Hey its not so bad, it's only below zero nine months out of the year and your a tough guy you can make it. Oh but that's right you have your family with you and after two months their screaming to leave and cursing your name. So what are the upsides? Absolutely nothing unless you are really really into sub zero temperatures even then you might just be wishing you were on a beach in the Bahamas sipping a nice margarita.







But on with the post!








What is it that keeps people here, it can't be the weather, it can't be the bugs or the floods. It must be that famed North Dakota charm again, arg! You know what their isn't answer, who knows maybe if I stay here the rest of my life I'll find out, hahaha!!!!! Anyways here a few breathtaking scenes which I will admit do originate in the prairie dog state.









All of these pictures were taken while I was out for a drive along Demers Avenue. The road went from pavement to gravel three miles outside of town.

WHATEVER

Life seems so droll here sometimes. Maybe it's just me or do I only post about the weather? I think I only post about the weather and possibly flying. Interesting things just don't want to happen here and I don't know why. I mean today I got up at six thirty tired and plum exhausted and went flying, wow. My life really isn't filled with much excitement.

Later today I will be canoeing with Pete a friend of mine and now Friday Night Frenzy dude. This event tends to be an adventure every year and someone always comes close to losing their life. And now that the bloody cold weather is here we are sure to have a case of hypothermia. I'll let you know how it turns out later. But right now I am just consumed with the utter boredom this city emanates, weird.

I have a few letters to write one to Luke Harr and one to this girl I know. The postal service will take its good ol' time getting them there, something I can always count on. A nap somehow made it into my schedule but I can't say I won't welcome it. Oh and since I'm here to get an education I might do a little home work instead of putting it off until Sunday. One of these days I might actually right something serious...something with purpose. Here has been a snippet of my life and I hope you all enjoyed.