The first week on my internship was a good one, although I didn't do much. I'm supposed to be logging 40 hours a week and this week I logged 16...the internship advisor isn't going to be happy about that, but there just hasn't been a whole lot to do around here. Mark (my boss - the youth pastor) is on vacation and Patrick (my other boss) was basically looking for things for me to do. It's ok - I know I'll have enough hours logged at the end of the summer. Plus, I really needed more of a break - I was more tired from the semester than I thought. Since I haven't had much to do, I've spent my time watching season 2 of 24 (it's a good one!), hanging out with my family, especially Josh, working out at the local YMCA, trying to navigate around the Birmingham area, and Skyping with Meagan.
That being said, I'm really excited to get the summer kicked off! The staff and other interns are really cool, and I think we're going to work really well together. I've already met some of the students and they're awesome - I'm going to enjoy investing in them this summer.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Make the World A Better Place, Punch Finals Week in the Face
Two blogs in three days...Adam's on fire. I can do this when I don't have anything else going on. Plus, it's fun to write, and I guess I have a knack for it. Writing is what has boosted my GPA from mediocre to acceptable. Now that I'm done with classes forever, I can tell you that it feels phenomenal. I woke up this yesterday morning, realized it was Friday, and then realized that it's been a week since I've gone to class. Finals week is the best week of college.
In my profile about me, I said that this blog would contain some of my personality and how I look at the world. I have not graduated yet, but my degree will be in human development and family studies. Basically, I am a people watcher. That is how I look at the world - I notice what other people do. Penn State is good for people watching.
There is this one person group my roommate Ryan and I are fascinated by - we call them Snugs. Snug stands for "Spandex, Northface, and Uggs." This is a common outfit on a college campus, and I've never quite understood it. In addition to that, all Snugs tend to talk and act the same way. You can frequently find Snugs strutting down the sidewalk with their blackberry/iPhone attached to their ear, wearing sunglasses that cover half of their face, waving their free hand wildly as they make hand motions, brushing their dyed blond hair out of their face, and readjusting their huge bag on their shoulders - they carry their lives in those things. It is common to see that free hand holding a Starbucks coffee or a small container holding a salad. While on the phone, they talk loud enough for everyone to hear - they usually complain to their moms about how their roommates are awful because they don't clean up after themselves. Or they complain about their boyfriends, how ridiculously stupid their professors are, or how excited they are for the weekend to come so they can party and get mad drunk.
I had to tell you that to tell you this:
I had my last final on Thursday, and it was a pretty terrible experience, actually. Not because I was completely unprepared, not because it was ridiculously hard, but because some Snug waltzes in (what I'm saying is completely true), Blackberry in hand, whining about her exam, massive sunglasses holding her hair back, tosses her survival bag down and sits right behind me. Not a big deal. I have made a lot of friends with Snugs - my major is dominated by girls, so I have gotten to know a few of them. Also, I do not hold a personal vendetta against Snugs, they are just fun to talk about because they stick out more than the other groups on campus. I could talk about a lot of different groups on campus...anyways, I did not know this particular girl, but she loaded on the perfume - apparently she wanted to impress someone there, because it was strong. Lucky me - it made me itchy, and I was dripping and sniffling for 90 minutes, trying to finish my exam. I sat there, going through the questions, filling in my bubble sheet, listening to other people sneezing and sniffling. I was trapped and I could not leave until I finished. I had no tissues or handkerchief - I was tempted to wipe my drippy snot all over my exam booklet, but we had to turn those in at the end so I used my shirt instead. By the middle of the exam there was a nice wet and gooey puddle around the collar of my shirt. By the end of the exam, I was no longer drippy, and my shirt collar had solidified to crispy, crusty, flaky nastiness.
As I walked home, I reflected on the last hour and a half of torture, I began to realize that what happened was actually pretty funny. It was a very 'Adam Jepson' way of finishing my last finals week.
Stay tuned for some highlights of my college career.
In my profile about me, I said that this blog would contain some of my personality and how I look at the world. I have not graduated yet, but my degree will be in human development and family studies. Basically, I am a people watcher. That is how I look at the world - I notice what other people do. Penn State is good for people watching.
There is this one person group my roommate Ryan and I are fascinated by - we call them Snugs. Snug stands for "Spandex, Northface, and Uggs." This is a common outfit on a college campus, and I've never quite understood it. In addition to that, all Snugs tend to talk and act the same way. You can frequently find Snugs strutting down the sidewalk with their blackberry/iPhone attached to their ear, wearing sunglasses that cover half of their face, waving their free hand wildly as they make hand motions, brushing their dyed blond hair out of their face, and readjusting their huge bag on their shoulders - they carry their lives in those things. It is common to see that free hand holding a Starbucks coffee or a small container holding a salad. While on the phone, they talk loud enough for everyone to hear - they usually complain to their moms about how their roommates are awful because they don't clean up after themselves. Or they complain about their boyfriends, how ridiculously stupid their professors are, or how excited they are for the weekend to come so they can party and get mad drunk.
I had to tell you that to tell you this:
I had my last final on Thursday, and it was a pretty terrible experience, actually. Not because I was completely unprepared, not because it was ridiculously hard, but because some Snug waltzes in (what I'm saying is completely true), Blackberry in hand, whining about her exam, massive sunglasses holding her hair back, tosses her survival bag down and sits right behind me. Not a big deal. I have made a lot of friends with Snugs - my major is dominated by girls, so I have gotten to know a few of them. Also, I do not hold a personal vendetta against Snugs, they are just fun to talk about because they stick out more than the other groups on campus. I could talk about a lot of different groups on campus...anyways, I did not know this particular girl, but she loaded on the perfume - apparently she wanted to impress someone there, because it was strong. Lucky me - it made me itchy, and I was dripping and sniffling for 90 minutes, trying to finish my exam. I sat there, going through the questions, filling in my bubble sheet, listening to other people sneezing and sniffling. I was trapped and I could not leave until I finished. I had no tissues or handkerchief - I was tempted to wipe my drippy snot all over my exam booklet, but we had to turn those in at the end so I used my shirt instead. By the middle of the exam there was a nice wet and gooey puddle around the collar of my shirt. By the end of the exam, I was no longer drippy, and my shirt collar had solidified to crispy, crusty, flaky nastiness.
As I walked home, I reflected on the last hour and a half of torture, I began to realize that what happened was actually pretty funny. It was a very 'Adam Jepson' way of finishing my last finals week.
Stay tuned for some highlights of my college career.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Just Got Owned in Halo, now I Need to Vent
It's been a while since i've blogged - and i need to stop starting every blog of mine with that statement. But there is a reason that I don't write in it much - School, ACF leadership, leading the GUM youth, Bible study, relationships, Halo, sports, guitar...and sleep. All of those things happened almost every day this past semester. That is why blogging has not been high on the priority list lately,
Also, I've been wrestling with why I even have a blog. I've been reading lots of things written by everyday people lately - most of them are Christians. I read their blogs, Facebooks, tweets, and they all sound the same to me. Everyone has their own personal flair, but the tone and message is really pretty similar. People like to tweet (or retweet) quotes from C.S. Lewis, John Piper, G.K. Chesterton, Donald Miller, and other pastors and writers, sharing some creative outlook on life or approach to Christianity. People like to talk about what new and interesting experiences they had, or share a verse that stuck with them from the morning's quiet time and attach with it a small challenge to those who are following them - and to themselves of course...that's why they posted it in the first place. I get things like this multiple times a day, and frankly, it's getting pretty old for me.
I continue to read them because they force me to think and wrestle with my own thoughts. I've been wrestling with why I really don't enjoy these blogs/tweets/facebook/etc. anymore. I think it comes down to the authority with which one uses to get a point across. The authority itself does not frustrate me - I admire the confidence and assertiveness people have to share those thoughts and inspirational nuggets. What bothers me is that authority connotes leadership, and so we have a ton of leaders telling everyone who follows them everything that they think is important. I think this is a problem because, to me, everyone is trying to lead and follow at the same time - and I include myself in this. You can't be a leader and a follower in the same circle of people - you can't do both. It's too confusing for everyone, and that makes leadership (and following) less effective.
This why I haven't been blogging or even tweeting as much Christianity stuff. I imagine some people feel the same way as me, and being flooded with these messages that many of us have already heard is tiring. I feel like I need a detox...maybe this is because I'm already so incredibly involved in ministry things - it is a huge part of my week.
Whatever it is, those are my thoughts, and I basically just weakened my argument by writing this. Why do we all have an agenda that we feel needs to be heard by everyone?
Also, I've been wrestling with why I even have a blog. I've been reading lots of things written by everyday people lately - most of them are Christians. I read their blogs, Facebooks, tweets, and they all sound the same to me. Everyone has their own personal flair, but the tone and message is really pretty similar. People like to tweet (or retweet) quotes from C.S. Lewis, John Piper, G.K. Chesterton, Donald Miller, and other pastors and writers, sharing some creative outlook on life or approach to Christianity. People like to talk about what new and interesting experiences they had, or share a verse that stuck with them from the morning's quiet time and attach with it a small challenge to those who are following them - and to themselves of course...that's why they posted it in the first place. I get things like this multiple times a day, and frankly, it's getting pretty old for me.
I continue to read them because they force me to think and wrestle with my own thoughts. I've been wrestling with why I really don't enjoy these blogs/tweets/facebook/etc. anymore. I think it comes down to the authority with which one uses to get a point across. The authority itself does not frustrate me - I admire the confidence and assertiveness people have to share those thoughts and inspirational nuggets. What bothers me is that authority connotes leadership, and so we have a ton of leaders telling everyone who follows them everything that they think is important. I think this is a problem because, to me, everyone is trying to lead and follow at the same time - and I include myself in this. You can't be a leader and a follower in the same circle of people - you can't do both. It's too confusing for everyone, and that makes leadership (and following) less effective.
This why I haven't been blogging or even tweeting as much Christianity stuff. I imagine some people feel the same way as me, and being flooded with these messages that many of us have already heard is tiring. I feel like I need a detox...maybe this is because I'm already so incredibly involved in ministry things - it is a huge part of my week.
Whatever it is, those are my thoughts, and I basically just weakened my argument by writing this. Why do we all have an agenda that we feel needs to be heard by everyone?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What's a Doppelganger?
I would like to interrupt your long, cold, (hopefully not so) lonely winter to share with you a revelation I had earlier today. Some of you may be aware that it is 'Doppelganger Week' on Facebook.
"But Adam! I don't even know what doppelganger even means!" Fear not. As reported by dictionary.com, you now know what it means:
Dop⋅pel⋅gäng⋅er
/ˈdɒpəlˌgæŋər; Ger. ˈdɔpəlˌgɛŋər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dop-uhl-gang-er; Ger. daw-puhl-geng-er]
–noun
a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can explain the epidemic that's happening on Facebook. Basically, if anyone has ever said you look like someone famous, you post a picture of the celebrity look alike as your profile picture and try to get others to do the same. It's actually pretty scary how close some of my friends look like other well known people. As for me, I think God is laughing at my misfortune, and I envy all of you who have a celebrity look alike.
Let me explain...
Here's my friend Jordan...this is only the side of his face, but the other side looks exactly the same.
Now compare him to the more famous Tom Cruise...
Pretty close right? Or take my girlfriend, Meagan, as another example:
Isn't she so pretty?? I certainly lucked out. Now look at this:
Am I dating Meagan? I don't know...I might as well be dating Natalie Portman's twin. That's pretty cool, right? It's awesome to look like someone who is good looking. That's where I get frustrated. Look at this...it's a picture of me and my dog Charlie.
I must admit, I am by no means an ugly person. I have enough confidence and self esteem to say that. I mean, Meagan is attracted to me, so I must have done something right. My 'celebrity' look alike makes me nauseous.
Here it comes...
Wait for it...
Wallace and freaking Gromit. People have actually said that i look like him, and he isn't even real! If you ask me, that looks more like my dad because they're both folically challenged. Only on certain occasions might I look like that.
Ok. I guess that's pretty close. Wallace still isn't real! Thank you, Doppelganger Week, for reminding me of the cruel trick that nature has played on me.
I blame my parents.
"But Adam! I don't even know what doppelganger even means!" Fear not. As reported by dictionary.com, you now know what it means:
Dop⋅pel⋅gäng⋅er
/ˈdɒpəlˌgæŋər; Ger. ˈdɔpəlˌgɛŋər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dop-uhl-gang-er; Ger. daw-puhl-geng-er]
–noun
a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can explain the epidemic that's happening on Facebook. Basically, if anyone has ever said you look like someone famous, you post a picture of the celebrity look alike as your profile picture and try to get others to do the same. It's actually pretty scary how close some of my friends look like other well known people. As for me, I think God is laughing at my misfortune, and I envy all of you who have a celebrity look alike.
Let me explain...
Here's my friend Jordan...this is only the side of his face, but the other side looks exactly the same.
Now compare him to the more famous Tom Cruise...
Pretty close right? Or take my girlfriend, Meagan, as another example:
Isn't she so pretty?? I certainly lucked out. Now look at this:
Am I dating Meagan? I don't know...I might as well be dating Natalie Portman's twin. That's pretty cool, right? It's awesome to look like someone who is good looking. That's where I get frustrated. Look at this...it's a picture of me and my dog Charlie.
I must admit, I am by no means an ugly person. I have enough confidence and self esteem to say that. I mean, Meagan is attracted to me, so I must have done something right. My 'celebrity' look alike makes me nauseous.
Here it comes...
Wait for it...
Wallace and freaking Gromit. People have actually said that i look like him, and he isn't even real! If you ask me, that looks more like my dad because they're both folically challenged. Only on certain occasions might I look like that.
Ok. I guess that's pretty close. Wallace still isn't real! Thank you, Doppelganger Week, for reminding me of the cruel trick that nature has played on me.
I blame my parents.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Welcome Me Back!
I remembered the other day that I had a blog. It's been nearly 5 months since I last blogged so I hope my three or so followers weren't holding their breath in anticipation for my next post. My last post mentioned that I was going to be very busy during the semester. Well, I survived it, as it is now the spring semester! Not only did I survive it, but I loved it! I was never bored, and almost always doing something: planning, teaching, listening, studying, typing, writing, reading...the school breaks were life saving, however I somehow managed to earn my highest semester GPA yet which was pretty darn awesome. (No...my GPA is not something I brag about...because there is nothing to brag about)
Anyway, I was so wrapped up in everything that I forgot to blog like I said I would. Based on my last post, here are some updates:
-Youth ministry has been great. I've enjoyed building relationships with those students, leading worship, and speaking from the Word. Hanging out with them takes up a huge chunk of my Sunday afternoons and evenings, but I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.
-ACF rocks. It stinks that this will be my last semester serving that Church. The people there are pretty darn serious about seeing the Lord more clearly and knowing Him more. My Bible STUDy guys make me proud. I'm gonna miss them a ton - perhaps more than most people. (I do not consider this favoritism...we just have a lot of quality time invested in one another) Another personal highlight is that Thursday Morning Prayer is really growing and we fill our little prayer room to capacity every week! The Lord is moving...
-I already talked about school...probably my least favorite part because it all feels like busy work to me but I'm going to have a degree in a solid program from a well known institution...strong.
-Last post I mentioned starting a blog on dating...mainly because every book I've read on dating is pretty weak (with the exception of 'I Kissed Dating Goodbye.') That is, until I read 'I Isaac, Take Thee Rebekah' by Ravi Zacharias. That book is everything that needs to be said about dating because it doesn't focus on the other individual and how the couple should act. Instead it focuses on what your relationship with Jesus needs to look like and how that will change your relationships. It's very good. I'd even recommend it to high schoolers.
This semester is probably going to be more of the same: Busy busy! But it's good. I'll try to stop in and blog, because I like writing, but I can't make any promises. I only write when I have a cool idea, and those ideas usually emerge in my free time.
Now I'm done.
Anyway, I was so wrapped up in everything that I forgot to blog like I said I would. Based on my last post, here are some updates:
-Youth ministry has been great. I've enjoyed building relationships with those students, leading worship, and speaking from the Word. Hanging out with them takes up a huge chunk of my Sunday afternoons and evenings, but I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.
-ACF rocks. It stinks that this will be my last semester serving that Church. The people there are pretty darn serious about seeing the Lord more clearly and knowing Him more. My Bible STUDy guys make me proud. I'm gonna miss them a ton - perhaps more than most people. (I do not consider this favoritism...we just have a lot of quality time invested in one another) Another personal highlight is that Thursday Morning Prayer is really growing and we fill our little prayer room to capacity every week! The Lord is moving...
-I already talked about school...probably my least favorite part because it all feels like busy work to me but I'm going to have a degree in a solid program from a well known institution...strong.
-Last post I mentioned starting a blog on dating...mainly because every book I've read on dating is pretty weak (with the exception of 'I Kissed Dating Goodbye.') That is, until I read 'I Isaac, Take Thee Rebekah' by Ravi Zacharias. That book is everything that needs to be said about dating because it doesn't focus on the other individual and how the couple should act. Instead it focuses on what your relationship with Jesus needs to look like and how that will change your relationships. It's very good. I'd even recommend it to high schoolers.
This semester is probably going to be more of the same: Busy busy! But it's good. I'll try to stop in and blog, because I like writing, but I can't make any promises. I only write when I have a cool idea, and those ideas usually emerge in my free time.
Now I'm done.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Colbie Caillat on A Rainy Day
So I was just journaling, and I felt like blogging, so I decided to sit down and type instead of write. As I was walking to my computer, I was thinking of what to name the title, and initially it was going to be 'On A Rainy Day.' Then I noticed that Colbie Caillat was playing on my iTunes, so I decided to add that...then I realized it rhymed, and I became very satisfied with myself. I've been killing the unintentional simple rhymes lately...I'm just that cool. I'm so cool that I even laugh at myself when I do it...
So there are some pretty cool things going on in my life right now. School is back in action, and that's kinda nice. It's good to be with my friends...school is just alright, but hey it's my senior year, so hopefully all of these 'just alright' classes will soon give me a 'crazy awesome' job.
Speaking of job, I just got hired to lead a youth group part time at a church in Centre Hall! How crazy awesome is that? It's weird to think that at the beginning of the summer I was wrestling with whether or not God was calling me into ministry, and through a couple conversations and and a whole lot of prayer, I feel as though the Lord confirmed my call, and now lookie! I get to spend a year with high school students and hopefully I'll get out of the way enough to let God do something amazing in their lives. I am really excited!
In addition to that, I'm also incredibly stoked for ACF this year! This is my third year serving as an elder, and it blows my mind to see how the Lord has used a handful of full time students to give direction to this church. This is my home - I feel a connection there that I get nowhere else, and I can't wait to see what is in store for this year. My guess is it's going to be incredible.
So yeah, I'm gonna be busy: ACF. School. Youth group. I'll keep you posted.
That's all for now. I could write a lot more, but for the sake of my three readers, I'll stop. I'll be blogging frequently, so don't go crazy! There's plenty more of my brain to read in the near future. Here's what's on the list of future blogs:
-My thoughts on dating - i might actually start a new blog on that
-My experiences in youth ministry - I will most likely start a new blog on that as well...the links will be on this page, so you can find it easily
-the awesomeness that is ACF
-more of the same sweetness that is my life
**Read my previous blog post...it's one of my favorites so far!**
So there are some pretty cool things going on in my life right now. School is back in action, and that's kinda nice. It's good to be with my friends...school is just alright, but hey it's my senior year, so hopefully all of these 'just alright' classes will soon give me a 'crazy awesome' job.
Speaking of job, I just got hired to lead a youth group part time at a church in Centre Hall! How crazy awesome is that? It's weird to think that at the beginning of the summer I was wrestling with whether or not God was calling me into ministry, and through a couple conversations and and a whole lot of prayer, I feel as though the Lord confirmed my call, and now lookie! I get to spend a year with high school students and hopefully I'll get out of the way enough to let God do something amazing in their lives. I am really excited!
In addition to that, I'm also incredibly stoked for ACF this year! This is my third year serving as an elder, and it blows my mind to see how the Lord has used a handful of full time students to give direction to this church. This is my home - I feel a connection there that I get nowhere else, and I can't wait to see what is in store for this year. My guess is it's going to be incredible.
So yeah, I'm gonna be busy: ACF. School. Youth group. I'll keep you posted.
That's all for now. I could write a lot more, but for the sake of my three readers, I'll stop. I'll be blogging frequently, so don't go crazy! There's plenty more of my brain to read in the near future. Here's what's on the list of future blogs:
-My thoughts on dating - i might actually start a new blog on that
-My experiences in youth ministry - I will most likely start a new blog on that as well...the links will be on this page, so you can find it easily
-the awesomeness that is ACF
-more of the same sweetness that is my life
**Read my previous blog post...it's one of my favorites so far!**
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Where Did He Come Up WIth This?
Once upon a time, there was this deer and he wandered through the woods looking for friends and food. (Food and friends were two of his most favorite things) One day he and his friends decided to go hang out and find something really fun to do, like frolic through meadows or go irritate an old, lazy, ornery bear. They walked down an old dirt path to the bear's house until they came upon a strange tree with orange balls falling from it, so they decided to check it out.
The tree was full of oranges. They bumped the tree, and much to their surprise, even more fell to the ground! One poor deer had one land on his face, which gave him quite a fright! After a short time, the deer began to become more curious. They sniffed and licked the oranges, and they immediately were overjoyed with their discovery. They ate oranges until they couldn't move, and they rested under the shade of the orange tree - which didn't provide much shade, but they were happy nonetheless.
Now you know that when you eat that much fruit, you normally have some issues later on, and this instance was no exception. Their bodies passed on all of the oranges that their stomachs couldn't digest, and it laid in small piles throughout the forest. Part of those not so pleasant little treasures contained the seeds of the oranges.
Fast forward to the present...
Not so long ago, the parents of a friend of mine visited Florida and brought back some oranges. I have had oranges before, but let me tell you, these were no ordinary oranges. They were like juicy candy - easily the best oranges that I have ever had! And I was sad when the last one was gone, because I didn't want to go back to eating regular oranges ever again.
The other night I laid in bed, reminiscing about my near life changing encounter with these incredibly delicious oranges. I remembered the smell, the taste, the virtual party in my mouth after every bite I took. And then that got me to thinking about the creativity of our Creator: how in the world is it possible that something that delicious can come from a doodie-covered seed that grew out of the dirt? Something I just ate got its nutrients from dirt, poop, water, and sunshine. Now this story is made up, but the scenario isn't too much of a stretch...so how do those four things help in growing something I enjoyed so much?
Because our Creator is creative, and he is awesome. Have you ever had any mini revelations like that? They're quite fun to ponder, and I think they make life more exciting and enjoyable. Any cool stories out there?
The tree was full of oranges. They bumped the tree, and much to their surprise, even more fell to the ground! One poor deer had one land on his face, which gave him quite a fright! After a short time, the deer began to become more curious. They sniffed and licked the oranges, and they immediately were overjoyed with their discovery. They ate oranges until they couldn't move, and they rested under the shade of the orange tree - which didn't provide much shade, but they were happy nonetheless.
Now you know that when you eat that much fruit, you normally have some issues later on, and this instance was no exception. Their bodies passed on all of the oranges that their stomachs couldn't digest, and it laid in small piles throughout the forest. Part of those not so pleasant little treasures contained the seeds of the oranges.
Fast forward to the present...
Not so long ago, the parents of a friend of mine visited Florida and brought back some oranges. I have had oranges before, but let me tell you, these were no ordinary oranges. They were like juicy candy - easily the best oranges that I have ever had! And I was sad when the last one was gone, because I didn't want to go back to eating regular oranges ever again.
The other night I laid in bed, reminiscing about my near life changing encounter with these incredibly delicious oranges. I remembered the smell, the taste, the virtual party in my mouth after every bite I took. And then that got me to thinking about the creativity of our Creator: how in the world is it possible that something that delicious can come from a doodie-covered seed that grew out of the dirt? Something I just ate got its nutrients from dirt, poop, water, and sunshine. Now this story is made up, but the scenario isn't too much of a stretch...so how do those four things help in growing something I enjoyed so much?
Because our Creator is creative, and he is awesome. Have you ever had any mini revelations like that? They're quite fun to ponder, and I think they make life more exciting and enjoyable. Any cool stories out there?
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