A New Direction

Ahh, how long it's been. Months! What a horrible blogger I am. Yes, I know what you are thinking; "It's about time! I've ben waiting for him to update his blog forever, just so I can know what he's up to!" Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer - this blog is no longer devoted to me and my life, but to my thoughts and convictions regarding chivalry - being a true gentleman. I hope that you, guy or gal, will enjoy this, but more than that - take it to heart. These aren't just the musings of a college student - the are the thoughts and wisdom of a student of chivalry - of a young man who strives to be the gentleman every man should be.

What is Chivalry? Dictionary.com defines it as " the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms." I define it as the practice of being a gentleman. So what's a gentleman? A gentleman is not what the world considers a "manly-man". He doesn't do things to impress girls - he does things to respect girls. It's simple - split the word "gentleman" into its two parts:

1. Gentle - not rough, uncouth, but kind, tenderhearted, gracious, and thoughtful.
2. Man - not simply a male, but a guy who has devoted his life to seeking Christ, all the while seeking to build a home and career on his faith.
   

The combination of these two thing make up a gentleman.

Okay, ladies, I know that this doesn't seem like it has much application for you. Yes, you are correct in thinking that you do not need to know how to be a gentleman. BUT- you do need to know what to expect from any and every guy you meet. Part of the reason that the species "homosapiens -gentlemanus" has died out is because most girls don't expect every guy to be a gentleman, and so guys don't feel the need to meet an expectation that isn't there. So ladies, expect, no, DEMAND that any guy pursuing your heart (or any guy hanging around you, for that matter) be a gentleman. If he realizes that you are worth it, (which I know each and every one of you are) than he will learn quickly and gladly.

Guys, dudes, boys, and men - whatever category you think you fall into, odds are that gentleman is not one of them. Harsh, I know, but true. There just are very few males willing to act as a gentleman should anymore. If you are a gentleman (hold yourself to high standard to call yourself that), then I applaud you, and ask that you add your thoughts and wisdom through comments and emails to this blog. But the rest of you, take heart! Men were designed by God to be gentlemen - but sin has weakened us. If you have Christ as the center in your life, being a gentleman is SO MUCH EASIER. If you don't, you won't understand half the reasoning behind what I say.

If you read this regularly, you will read both abstract and practical, both physical and emotional, and both funny and serious advice. But it isn't advice for you to tuck away for a rainy day - it's advice to apply to your life IMMEDIATELY. It's also a good idea to pass this on. Girls, if you know of a guy (brother, friend, classmate) who could use a lesson or two, let him know about this blog. Guys, be man enough to tell your friends that they need to know this, too.

One last thing before I end - I don't claim to know everything, or be the perfect gentleman. As I said before, I'm a STUDENT of chivalry. But, someone needs to step up and say what needs to be heard, and that what I plan to do. I'll reference other sites, books, authors, bloggers, and people as I strive to drive home the points. Don't look at me as a Pharisee, but rather a disciple of Christ - humble, but speaking with His power and authority. If you have any questions, I may not know the answer, but I WILL do all I can to find the answer for you.

Signing off,
The Gentlemanly Doofus

Aye, Scotland!

Hear ye, hear ye: I'm going to Scotland.

"Scotland?!?", you say? Aye, Scotland. I'll being going over there for a month on a RP Missions trip to Airdrie (near Edinburgh). I will leave tomorrow afternoon, and be back in the US on June 25th. While I'm there, I'll be using my blog to post pictures and updates of what's going on. Stay tuned for some really good stuff!

What I, and 9 others, will be doing while we are over there will be several things:

Literature distribution - going door to door and handing out flyers and pamphlets about the Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church, etc. This will be the toughest part for me- I've never truly done door-to-door stuff before. Pray for me!

School Presentations - These will be (as far as I can tell) mini-Vacation Bible Schools. I don't know what age groups or schools we will be at, so keep posted to find out!

Painting, Gardening, etc. - We will also be doing some manual labor around the Airdrie Church. Don't know what all that contains.

Working with the youth - the Church Youth don't have a lot of contact with Christian peers, so we'll hang out/work with them some, too. I really look forward to this part. I'll be taking Mountain Dew over there, because the youth really like it- but it's not available in the UK.

So, post a comment if you have questions, etc. I won't post every day, but I'll post somewhere around twice a week.

See ya'll later!

Facebook/Internet Fast for February

Ahem.

AHem.

AHEM!!

Thank you. Now that I have your undivided attention, I would like to make an announcement. I shall not be on facebook, or the general internet, for all of February (starting tomorrow). I feel like the internet is distracting me from a lot of things (God, homework, etc) and that I need to spend a lot of time away from the internet. So, I will not post on my blog, check my facebook, or do any other internet action for February.

Be not alarmed, though - I still will have email. Because teachers use it to get in touch with me about homework, I will still check my email. I will also use internet for the online quizzes and homework I have to do, but that will be all. So, if you want to talk to me, call me or email me. You won't reach me any other way (that means no skype, aim, etc.).

Thank you. That will be all. Be back in March!

The Beginnings of a Blogger

Ah...this reminds me of the days long ago when I had a Zanga site. Writing random blog posts, before the days of Facebook. After a while, I got rid of my Zanga, but now, feel like writing to my friends a bit more often. For your information, some of this will be my thoughts, other parts will be my writings (poems, stories, etc). I don't know how often I will update, but will try to make it weekly-ish.