Super Roth Bros. and facing off against temptation.

Lately I’ve been facing some really big temptation. There was one huge thing in particular that’s been really tempting me. And it was something I want SO BAD! So I thought about it. And I rationalized. And I gave in. But one thing saved me. October Break. During October Break I’ve been so sad because so many of my friends have left. And more specifically, all my girls had left! The only friends I had left were some of the guys on my floor who stayed. I was slightly saddened, but I’m tight with the guys on my floor, so we’ve been having a great time. And with the friends (and girls) left this particular temptation. I had rationalized why this was okay for me, okay in this case, why this wasn’t sin. Why this was good! I had so many reasons. So many rationalizations. But I still couldn’t convince myself. Even when I thought I was convinced I still had a nagging voice in the back of my head that I couldn’t shut up. And two final things convinced me. First of all, my Amaranth. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time know what I’m talking about. Someday it will be worth it, for my Amaranth. The second thing that convinced me is the brothers on my floor. Staying on my floor over October Break was Brian, Garrett, Steve and Dave (who actually didn’t stay for all of break). And being the Christian brothers that we are we’ve been chilling a lot together. Of course we’ve done the typical guy things, soccer on the quad and video games galore (we ARE the Super Smash Bros.!), but on the first day of October Break we were talking about what to do when Brian came up with a crazy idea. What do college students do over break? Do crazy, unhealthy things and party! But what do us crazy Houghton kids do? We were sitting at the table when Brian leaned forward and said, “Hey guys, let’s have a BIBLE STUDY!!” And yes, he was serious. So everyday over October Break we’ve gotten together, opened our Bibles to James and had some hardcore Bible study. We’ve been discussing James because it says some hard hitting and challenging things. And it’s been really good. We’ve had some great discussion, and it’s been a great time for us to bond.

So today I went to church, looked on the program and saw that I was down to give my testimony. I love it when I get surprises like that! So I quickly decided to talk about my brothers on my floor and Proverbs 27:17, which says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Which is basically what we’ve been doing. All of October Break I’d been kind of weighed down by this temptation that I was planning to give into, and I don’t think anyone has really noticed much. But my (non-biological) big sister Emily notices things. And she noticed I had something on my mind. So I was thinking about it as I gave my testimony and I realized something. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I knew I was being tempted. And I knew that giving in was sin. But even then I didn’t know what to do. And then I remembered I have my way out. God has provided me with many ways out. Emily gave me a chance to confess that I was tempted and was needing to ask for help. That was a way out. Then there’s the guys on my floor, and my R.A., they’re my way out. So now I’m on my way back home and when I get back to my dorm, I’ll talk to the guys, and they’ll help me. I’m so glad God helps me out. And I’m so grateful I have these people here for me.

So anyway, please pray for me. Because I was badly tempted, and I still am tempted. But I have found a way out. Thank you for your prayers. Until next time, Cya!

What do I want to be when I grow up?

Well, lately I've been thinkg of changing my major. Right now I'm all majorly religious, being a religion major. But it just doesn't feel right. I don't really enjoy this type of stuff. It just doesn't feel like what I want to spend the next four years studying. So I've been considering changing my major. And what are my skills? What are my interests? Well, I considered trying to study girls. But I knew that I could never ever figure them out, so I'd just be wasting my time. Then I considered studying assasination, but that's not offered at Houghton. So now I've looked over my life and noticed something. I'm a good writer! People like my writing and I LOVE to write. And since coming to Houghton I haven't been able to do as much writing as I'd like. So I'm thinking of becoming a writing major. And because I still refuse to give up on that dream of understand women, and because I just really enjoy psychology, I'm thinking of becoming a psych minor.

So what do you think of that? A writing major and a psych minor. A major writer, and a minor psycho! Heck yeah! But anyway, now I must go. It's chapel time!

Between real life splinter cell and a new definition of “double dating”, Houghton rocks!

I just have to start out by saying that I’m sitting in the coffee shop, Java 101, listening to a live band. They just finished playing “Dancing Queen”. This is awesome. I feel like such a college student! I’m loving life her. But before I tell you how about how much I love life here, I need to tell you how much I miss life back home. I’ve been having trouble keeping in touch with my friends in Estonia. And I’d like to apologize. I love my friends in Estonia very much, but I’m just not good at keeping in touch. So I just want to say, I love you all and miss you all. I pray you’re doing well. I’m sorry I have so much trouble keeping in touch, but I think you guys know me well enough to know that it’s not because I don’t like you or something, it’s just because I’m far too easily distracted. Just look how long it’s taken me to blog! That should prove it to you! But anyway, now on to my blog post.

I’m sure you’re dying to know who those two stunning young ladies are, and how I got them to stand still long enough to take that picture. Well it’s a long and interesting story. And I know you want to hear it. So I’ll tell you. On my right is Anya, my MK sister from Indiana. On my left is Jenny, my cool sister from Maine. Anya and Jenny are roommates. They are also my good friends. Remember when I was being creepy about Lambein girls and cookies being two reasons life is worth living? Well, these are the Lambein girls that so enrich my life. One day I was hanging out with Anya and we were discussing the homecoming banquet and dance that was coming up, and somebody jokingly said that we should start looking for dates, because this was a date only event. So we came up with an idea. Asking one person would be awkward. But if one room to take another room it would eliminate all awkwardness. So we decided that Derek, my roommate, and I would take Anya and Jenny. And it would eliminate all the one on one awkwardness. So I go back home and propose this to Derek, and he awkwardly informs me that he’s already got himself a kind of date. So this left us with a predicament. Who would take Anya and Jenny to the dance? Well, being the ingenious lady’s man that I am I had a solution. I would just take both of them!

Yeah, yeah. I know this is so typical of the type of joke that I’d make. But I’m serious. I took 2 girls to the homecoming dance and banquet. But such wonderful women demand proper protocol be followed. This is the instructions I received:
“First, we must be officially and winningly asked. Second, on the night of the banquet, you must meet us at the front entrance of our dwelling place. Then, you must seat us and entertain us. Afterwards, you will need to safely return us to our home.”
Houghton girls know what they want! So at lunch the day before I “officially and winningly” asked them to accompany me and they graciously agreed. Then the next day I escorted them to the banquet, though I did forget to seat them, which made me feel slightly guilty. I did manage to entertain them though. We had some wonderful conversation during the banquet, and after the banquet was the dance. We went downstairs and I danced with Anya for a while, until we reached the point where the person leading the dance said we should start dipping the girl. Dip and drop are far too similar. We’d already been thinking of leaving early, so I escorted them home. I felt kind of bad I didn’t get to dance with Jenny, but she said she didn’t want to. But I’m still disappointed. Though I really enjoyed dancing with Anya. Anya and I were very well suited for dancing with each other for one simple reason. I stepped on her foot once and she stepped on my foot once. We were even. And also was just very enjoyable. I loved dancing to “Edelweiss”. It was loads of fun.

After escorting them home they changed and we hung out for a while talking and just chilling. It was loads of fun. Friends came and went eventually Anya went to watch a movie and Jenny and I went and walked around campus and eventually ended up hanging out in Big Al’s. Eventually I walked her home and then on the way back to my dorm I saw a fox, which was pretty cool. The next day there were no classes and I enjoyed celebrating the 125th anniversary of Houghton. Which was pretty cool, because during chapel that morning we learned all about Houghton’s history. Houghton is awesome. Just amazingly awesome. That night was a party on the quad, which I mostly missed, because first I was hanging out in Lambein, and then I was playing Murder in Chamberlain.

And now on to the second thing. Real life Splinter Cell! Murder is fun. Murder is like Mafia, only with running around and poking each other. It’s fun. But the best part is strategy and scaring people. Running around and hoping not to get killed isn’t the best strategy. Hiding in dark corners and jumping out and scaring people is fun and a good strategy. But my friend Chad and I decided to take that a step further. Earlier Chad had been showing me the awesome ways of killing people in the game Splinter Cell. It involves lots of sneaky stealth and coolness. So Chad and I decided that since we’re both working as secret agents we mind as well stealth around a bit. So we had loads of fun running around in the dark, having people walk by inches from us and not see us, despite the fact that they looked straight at us. It was great, watching each others back. We were totally stealthy. If we were secret agents, ninjas or assassins we’d do great. Especially if we were secret agent ninja assassins. It was great. Anyway, I’ve got a long enough blog post now, and I’m really enjoying my life as a college student, chilling in coffee shops writing. Life is amazing. Until next time, Cya!