We went to Charlotte to work with Operation Blessing, and what a blessing it was! The kids were so much fun.
We drove all the way through North Carolina, and, at one point, we were only 30 minutes from my old house.
Dawn from the bookstore said she was leaving in two weeks. She got another job at Circuit City.
Hello, goodbye, and a cherished space in between.
God is teaching me so much. The events I’ve lived through in the past are starting to make sense now.
What a perfect God!
September is slipping out from under me. Can it already be so late in the year, and so late in the millennium?
I had a film shoot earlier in the week and met a woman who had spent some time out in LA. Our conversation about how the business really works intimidated me a bit, and I felt God question me on how bad I wanted to work in the film industry. Most of the students here don’t really want to work in Hollywood, they just love the craft and home to use it somehow as a career. If I’m honest, I want to live a quiet life, not a life in the spotlight. But I also know I’m supposed to study this right now, and it won’t last very long, for it is already almost October.
Three months until Christmas.
I head for Charlotte, NC tonight after youth group.
Laura and I have been emailing each other. I miss her beauty.
1999.
That’s impossible.
Last Christmas I promised I would never spend another Christmas with my dad’s side of the family. I’m tempted to ask Sharon if I can stay with them over the Holidays and just hide from the world. Even Laura’s emails look beautiful and pure.
Where suddenly have I gone?
I pitched a short film script today. I’m not sure how it was received, but I got a lot of laughs. It is a comedy, so that’s good.
I also got called back for both short films I auditioned for.
Why is all of this making perfect sense God? Yet, why am I also so confused? Why do I miss things I’ve never had? Why do I dream of things I do not want?
Please slow this down God.
Please speed it up.
Is all of this just to make you smile…
…or to make me smile?
My life has gone on a crazy ride recently. To begin, my Communication Theory class blew my mind. God is definitely using this class to deal with the way I think and see the world. Perhaps I’ll go into detail with that later.
I worked Wednesday afternoon and that night we had drama practice. It went okay, but these kids really have no idea of how to do this thing, but I guess it’s my job to teach them. Nevertheless, we all had fun.
Sometimes at Regent I feel like I just don’t fit in. There is a Law School and a Theology School and I feel like some of those students in their suits walk by and judge me and my duck-taped sandals.
I worked all day Friday, it was a bit rough. I just wasn’t happy with all that was around me. But once I got off work, all that changed.
Dawn, a coworker, needed a ride home. She’s insanely beautiful and a lot of fun, she actually reminds me Emily. Well, I was taking her home and she wanted to stop and get some pepperoni rolls at a nearby bakery, so we did. We ate there together and talked and it was just simple fun. I shared a meal with an insanely beautiful girl and sometimes that is all a man needs to make it through the week. We drove to her house, and I was just being me, you know the one that often feels like he doesn’t fit in at Regent, and she was just cracking up a storm, telling me I was the funniest thing in the world.
Thank you Dawn! You saved my life that day.
Then, I went back to Regent to watch some of the student films that were being screened. I saw three and they were all pretty good. Then I left to go watch One True Thing at the Regal Cinemas. That movie changed my whole perspective.
One day, my own mom is going to start dying. I love her so much and that day is many years away, but still, we will all die one day. And the movie taught me that I have so much here in Virginia Beach to love and care about.
I haven’t been doing that well enough.
I cried the entire way home from the movie. I just a big baby in the car. I didn’t like who I was and I wanted to change. I asked God to forgive me.
I arrived home, slept, and got up early yesterday morning and left with some members of the youth group to go to King’s Dominion. I spent most of the day with our leaders Tammy and Jose, as well as Kimberly and Lauren. Kim is 15 and Laura is 13 and we eventually split off and it was just Kimberly and Lauren and me. And I had the best day with those two.
I just loved whatever was around me. Kim and Lauren and I talked the entire day. I was a 22-year-old graduate student who got to feel 14 again. God was giving me a gift and I was reminded of who I was and what I’m called to. God knows me better than I know myself.
Kimberley reminded me a lot of Ryan, my first crush, and Kimberley said I make everything so much fun that she wants to do everything with me now, even shopping. Lauren was an absolute sweetheart and I now have two dear new friends.
What a lovely thing that is, a friend.
One True Thing revealed to me how I had needlessly complicated my life. I’d forgotten about the simple sounds, simply joys, simple tastes, and simple smiles of the good life.
On Saturday, September 19, 1998, I became young again.
Today was a crazy day.
I talked to Emily last night and she said the strangest thing:
“Jacob, you have to promise me something. If neither of us are married by the time we are 30, let’s marry each other.”
That blew me out of the water. That’s not very far away. We shall see.
I sometimes wonder if I’m called to be single my whole life. Sharon, quite possibly the world’s greatest wife and mother, is already taken so staying single may not be a bad thing.
Speaking of, Sharon said she saw Rebecca St. James in concert last night. She hung out with her family and even talked about me to Rebecca. Crazy!
I don’t even know Rebecca, but I miss her.
Today is my mother’s birthday. She turns 45. I just called her. She has a job working for the city, and Henry is going to class and working part-time at the local Wal-Mart. I’m sure this would make no sense to the world. Henry had a great job as a detective at UNC and now he is pushing carts. But they are not of this world and he is where God wants him to be.
Nate is now in 8th grade. I switched schools in 6th grade and that was rough, I’m sure switching in 8th grade is even more difficult.
Mom says they will stay down there for Thanksgiving. She wants us to come down, but I’ve already made plans, so I can’t.
Yesterday after work I auditioned for a sci-fi film being produced independently by some Regent students. It is something they hope to sell and turn into a series. Call backs are next Wednesday; we’ll see. The audition was so much fun. I do love this stuff.
Yesterday I saw two movies, Rounders and Simon Birch. They were both fantastic! Sitting behind me in the theater was a huge group of guy friends and it made me miss Vince, Dan, Allen, Curtis, Justin, Charlie, and Josh so much. I just miss laughing with them and letting the world fade away.
The 20th anniversary of Regent University is being celebrated. I went to the convocation yesterday. Dr. Jack Hayford spoke, as well as Pat Robertson. It was a moving ceremony.
I am working this Saturday in just a few minutes, so I can have next Saturday off in order to go to King’s Dominion. Youth church was awesome last night. I had such a good time in worship.
My film audition for Saturday Despair was kind of weird on Thursday. I have another audition today after work.
There is a lot going on, but I have yet to find some really close friends. That takes time though.
I spent a couple of hours hanging out with Nicole the other night. She seems really lonely as well. She’s 24 and this is her first time away from home.
I received two amazing letters from Emily yesterday. She is the sweetest thing on this planet.
Sarah hasn’t emailed me in nearly two weeks.
Jeni and Abigail just had birthdays, and it’s the 12th of September again. Yesterday was a historical day in Washington D.C., but I forgive our President.
I talked with Colleen yesterday. She reminds me so much of Jessica. She loves the outdoors. We talked about going camping some time soon.
Thank you for your love God. Thanks for using me. You are my everything.
It’s been three years now since Syndi and I went to Deep Creek. That night with her, just sitting and talk in her car, still remains one of the most amazing conversations of my life. I can in no way remember what was said, but only that it made an impression upon my soul.
Friday night’s youth service went really well, and we are having our first drama meeting on Wednesday night. These kids are amazing. I can’t believe God gave me this beautiful family so early after arriving to a new land.
Yesterday, Nicole and a girl named Patricia and I went up to my Grandparent’s house for lunch and to do some filming for a video project we have due. We had such a good time. My grandparents were great hosts.
Last night I went over to Mary Jo’s and April’s since they were having a get-together. I met some new people and we laughed the whole night.
The God that I love today is the same God who loved me and watched over me in my youth. Even then, he knew.
I talked with Josh and Jessica over the weekend. Josh was such an inspiration to me. He also seemed lonely. He misses me and I miss him. He said things are different at Lees-McRae. He said I was able to join all the people together and he can tell a difference now that I’m not there. I told him that he should make the effort to bring people together. We prayed and he admitted that perhaps it was him and not the others. He says he feels really insecure and he’s not sure the others want to be his friend.
I do miss Lees-McRae, but I know that is not where I supposed to be right now. I know without a doubt that is was where God wanted me for the days between August 28, 1994 and May 10, 1998.
And he has set these days here at Regent aside for me now.
Another September 2nd has come and gone again. Already September. Ten days until the six year anniversary of that night in the balcony with Ryan and the others watching Jason perform two roles in Camelot.
Such good days.
Monday classes were fun. I have definitely found my place and can that God destined me to attend this school here and now so long ago. Tuesday afternoon I went to see Saving Private Ryan again, only this time with two girls I met at the swing club, Chris and Nicole. Nicole is 24 and Chris is 22. After class on Monday, Nicole and I walked back to the Regent Apartments together. It is long trail through the woods and we had a nice chat. And after the movie yesterday, we hung out together in Nicole’s apartment for a while, just talking about movies.
I got an email from Sarah. She says she went to Banner Elk Christian Fellowship on Sunday and plans to continue. That is a good thing. She seems to be doing okay, but her email had an echo of loneliness in it.
I sent Doc an email, just thanking her for Lees-McRae and telling her what was going on. She sent a lovely poem back to me and said she posted that email for all to read.
I purchased the widescreen version of Titanic yesterday and watched it last night with Matt.
I couldn’t help but think of my days with Sarah.
I miss the sound of her voice.
It’s early Monday morning and I just returned from an amazing evening.
I’m so tired, but here goes a quick recap. Church was great at Parkway and I took a nap in the afternoon before going to a party I was invited to for new students in the School of Communication. We spent an hour or so talking, but then drove into Norfolk for some swing dancing! It was so amazing, but the people I met were easily the best part.
I met girls who had the same dreams, vision, and goals as me. They are so beautiful and many of them are in my classes tomorrow.
Must sleep.
20yearsagoblog 