Cyber-Jerks

So we’re still in the middle of finals and papers here and last night I was working on one of my many papers when all of the sudden I get a msn message from a friend of mine that read: “It’s you!” and then had a link that contained my e-mail address in its text. I thought that it might be a picture or something so I clicked on it, only to find that it was another one of those stupid viruses that totally mess up your system and send the virus to everyone on your contact list! I frantically tried to stop the thing and got signed out of msn before it was able to send the virus to everyone. So then I was up until almost two working on virus scans and getting my system cleaned out and everything else. I’ll probably wipe my hard drive once school is finished.

But man does it ever tick me off! Who has so little to do with their time that they sit around and make up these freaking viruses?!!! Sometimes I would really like to have a “conversation” with these guys. This is certainly not the time for this to happen. I still have a lot of writing to do and I need my computer to work. It seems pretty stable at the moment; every once in a while things kind of go wonky on me.

So I guess my point is that these cyber savvy morons are out there and want to mess up your computer. So when you’re on msn talking with your friends or even if you are set to away or whatever. If someone sends you a link, ask them if it’s safe before you touch it. If they don’t respond then don’t open it. Now I need to get back to trying to get my work done. Have a nice day and I hope yours is going better than mine.

Again?

So it snowed last night... a lot (which is, in fact, two words. It’s not “alot,” it’s “a lot”) and it seems that spring has taken a day off. Coming into the part of the year where I need a lot of motivation I really don’t need a bunch of wet, messy, snow and gray bleakness outside! Sheesh! I mean, I thought we were done with this stuff for another year! Oh well, I guess it doesn’t make much sense to complain about the weather. Not much one can do about it. At least I can’t. This spring is just messed right up. And you know what it is? You may have thought that I would drop this by now but… no chance! I know what it is. It is because there is NO HOCKEY! We should be in play-offs now! But no! We’re still in lock-out mode and the season is, and has been, shot. And it still sucks. This year was the Leafs year too! I know it! MAN! And so without hockey the world’s weather has been thrown off balance… or at least Canada’s weather… or at least Charlottetown’s weather… bring back our game.

Mediocrity

Have you ever settled? Compromised? Aimed below the bar? I have. In fact I tend to make it a habit sometimes. It’s something that I struggle with. For example I just finished a paper tonight that I would call “mediocre.” I think it is one of those papers that you pass in, get back and show no one. I just read it and it stinks, but I still have a ton more to write and I can’t redo it. But I hate that. I’ve put a bunch of stuff off, yet again, and now I have to cram it all in and do a crappy job and I don’t want to! Because I can do better. I should do better.

I’m not sure why but I can be a major slacker sometimes. And it’s not the way I was brought up because both of my parents and my brother are very hard workers. And I am too when I want to be. But when It comes to stuff that is just for me like getting high grades or even keeping a clean room I just kind of leave it sometimes. It needs to change.

I believe that God made me a capable person. I believe that He’s made all capable to accomplish great things. He made me with a twisted mind and has given me gifts to use it and I need to. I really believe that when we shoot for the stars we can accomplish incredible things! Anyone can! And yet we look into the mountains that wait for us to conquer them and then what… what do we do? What do I do? I settle, I say “no that is too big for me, someone else will get that one.” NO! Frig that! If there is a mountain before me then I want to be the one to conquer it! Not someone else, it’s the mountain I was meant to climb! Why because it’s in my path and I can do it!!! Because God doesn’t make mountains I can’t climb. He can do incredible things through me. And he can do incredible things through you. No matter who you are reading this. God can use you and He wants to. Will you let Him. I plan on it.

There is a sound byte on an awesome blog that I have stumbled upon and you need to listen to it. The whole thing. Its not that long and wait until the sound stops, not the music because there is a final statement that you need to hear. The man speaking is Erwin McManus. You need to listen to it. And add this blog to your favorites while you’re at it. Its great. Here’s the link: http://disciplesjournal.blogspot.com/

Please don’t settle for anything less than everything God has for you.

A Good Day With a Great Start.

Yesterday was a good day. I need to openly admit that lately my prayer life stinks. Most of the time it has been either a quick "God, help me get through this," or "God, please grant me this or that," or "God, please forgive me for being a complete idiot! Or not trusting you, or not spending time with you or treating the bible only as a text book!" (That was a longer one) But Yesterday was different and what I hope to continue in. Yesterday I woke up feeling tired due to the time change and I just felt like crap. I got up and took a shower. Got dressed and began to go over my sermon I was to preach that day. I was in my apartment alone feeling a weight I can't really explain on my shoulders. I put my sermon and my bible down and I let it all out. I finally had a long over-due good lengthy chat with the creator. I talked to him about everything and I mean EVERYTHING. I, for once, didn't just make a wish list but, thanked and praised God for all that He is and all that He does in my life. I talked about concerns and things that are going well and just had a wonderful time talking to God. What a relaxing, uplifting reviving experience it is to talk to the creator of the universe and know He hears you as an individual. There is power in it. I can't tell you how much better I felt.

I then prayerfully went over my sermon and text, drove out to Clyde River and delivered it and it went quite well. I had lunch with my lovely bride to be, and we drove out to Breadalbane so I could lead the service out there. That little congregation gives me more encouragement then they are aware of I am sure. I returned home after that and didn't even have time to get my shoes off before I found out that I had ice time at 6 at Simmons Arena! YES!!! My hockey season lives on!!!! I was so pumped. So I went out and played hockey that evening. Then after I got cleaned up, a bunch of us went to dairy queen. Yum. And finally I spent the rest of the evening with Jacquelyn. A good day that started with a change of attitude and the help of God.

Prayer is too important, too much of a help, and too much of a privilege to pass up. We need to talk to God and allow him to talk to us through quiet time and His word. He will bless you and there is power in the time spent with God.

Let me put it in writing

Yesterday Terri Schiavo passed away, 13 days after her feeding tube had been removed. If ever there was an issue where people are divided, folks, this is it. And I stand somewhere in the middle of it all. I don't think it appropriate to artificially keep someone alive for the sake of having them around but I don't like how this was done. They could not just end her life for her as she must die of natural cause. But, I'm sorry. Starving to death is not a natural cause! If ever someone was found dead, an autopsy was performed, and they concluded that the person had starved to death the news paper headline would never read: "Man dies of natural cause." So I'm torn because I don't believe in mercy killing, but I don't think artificial life is right either. It's so hard, if a dog was not living in the proper health and quality of life, we would "put them out of their misery" but when it is people, we don't or can't or whatever. Now I am not saying that Terri Schiavo was in "misery," as I am moving to the broader scope of things but I don't know... I wouldn't want to live like that... if you can call it "living."

At some point, in a situation like this, the person ceases to be them self. And should I ever reach the point where I am not the Ben Foreman you know then let me die. If I must starve then so be it. Do not let me linger here on earth, let me laugh on glory's side. I would much rather enjoy my new body in heaven as I worship my God than be a prisoner of my own body here on earth. So now it is in writing, let me die. If I cease to be myself then, as far as I'm concerned, I am dead already.

But to return to Terri Schiavo, let me say that I am very sorry that this has happened and I extend my deepest sympathy to the husband and family. And I am sorry that they are separate sides of the fence on this. I can't imagine how tough it must be for both sides.

So what do you think should have taken place. Is this the right thing? How can the system be improved? What do you think?

Time Marches on

Holy crap! March is over with already! Where did it go? Tomorrow is April 1st! No foolin! Well, maybe some in the morning. But seriously, I can't believe how fast the time has passed. 2005 is 1/4 over. Its funny how you can think to yourself that you have all the time in the world to do all things you want to do and then suddenly realize that a lot of time has passed you by. I'm finding that with papers and assignments right now but there are much larger things that pass us by. Many will let their very fate hang in the balance while time, and perhaps even life, passes them by. The fact is, we don't have all the time in the world. We need to realize, and I need to realize that my world could end tomorrow. It could end today! And time will continue to march on without me. But if it does, I know where I stand or, more importantly, in whom I stand. Jesus Christ. So I'll be ok. What about you? Don't let life pass you by without taking a stand and making the most important decision of your life. Don't put it off, cause the world could end tommorow, No Foolin.

A Few New Features

Hello all you readers of the Sidewalk. This post is only to point out a few new features on this blog. (because I have nothing to write about!) So if you will look at the side bar you will notice two new things. One being that I have finally put some links on here. These are (like the header says) a few blogs I check out every now and again. Also, there is a little "hit counter" there to keep me humble. So that is fun eh? It really goes to show you what kind of pointless nothing you can spend your time on when you should be doing work! So I'm off to do some... right now... here I go... although I really didn't specify if I was going to work or continue in some pointless activity... like you are participating in right now... haha... pointless.

A Good Visit... and some other things

Well I was just home visiting for a week (Thursday to Thrusday) and it sure was nice to be there again. I had the oppertunity to visit with some old friends and family. I watched a few movies as well but mostly just took the time to relax. I also got to see my dog who has grown to be almost 80 pounds!

Theres just something about being home. I don't quite know just what it is, but it was really nice. Also while I was home I was able to share my "big news" with everyone. It was more of a shock to some than others. And I got the question "are you and your brother doing a double wedding?" several times. The answer is no. We are getting married months apart as well as in different provinces. Anyways it was nice to be home but now I'm back on the Island working away trying to get everything done. Hope you are having a nice Easter weekend and don't forget in the middle of all your easter egg painting, eating snd such to remember the real reason Easter is celebreated. Remember the death of a savior so we could have life!

Wow that was a bit of a stream or consciousness. Oh! and check it out! I finally got some links on my blog! pretty nice eh??... sigh. again, 2 minutes you'll never have back.
ta ta.

The BIG NEWS!

Ok so because of how people talk and how fast word gets around, especially when you live in the maritimes, this is likely not news to most of you faithful readers. But for those of you who haven't heard and might care it is my pleasure to inform you that I have asked my long-time girlfriend Jacquelyn to marry me. And she agreed! So that is very exciting. Everyone always said to me "boy you better get married or you'll starve to death!" So now maybe I won't! Not that, that is why I asked her to marry me but it sure is a bonus! So I, Ben Foreman, am engaged as of the date of March 9th, 2005. And also as of March 9th, 2005... I'm broke! But she is worth it.

Give Me A Break!

No, not a kit-kat... actually a kit-kat chunk would be nice right now... I'll take two! anyways... lets have a few more of these: "..." So today will mark the start of March break for me and the rest of us who attend MCC. Fun times other than the fact that we all still have an amazing amount of work to get done that it will hardly be a break. And once we get back there will be two weeks and then finals! Who comes up with this stuff. But nobody asked me so this is the way we get it. Oh well. It will be nice to visit home and see everyone. And... share some big news that I will post at a later date... maybe tomorrow. Anyway I have a Mid-term in about 20 minutes so I should study or something. Good-bye all! The recent events taking place on my blog showed me more people actually read this stupid thing than I thought! LONG LIVE THE SIDEWALK! ok i'm done ... ... ...!

Anonymous Comment

Well if you ask people you can learn a lot about yourself. I, for one, have learned that apparently I am a phony as well as a “bad friend.” Now I was unaware of these things but I have learned them from a comment or 2 on the post below. There was something there also that I was already aware of, that being my incriminating sense of humor. And now let’s get right down to this.

First of all, I do enjoy that people can leave comments on this blog, I think this is a nice little blog feature. And I do like that you can choose to post comments in anonymity. However when you post a personal attack it sucks that you can be a coward and not reveal where this jeer is coming from. All I have to sift through is a few jabs at my character without any inclination of who it is from or what provolked it.

Something else that is troubling is that you also took a shot at my brother. This blog is MY personal thoughts and is all from ME. So if you want to take cowardly, faceless shots at me the I guess you can do that, but if you want to take shots at my brother… Do it on his blog! @ http://theamazingspiderdan.blogspot.com/

Now for my actual character flaws. It is hard for me to convince you that I am not a fake, other than it would be a complete waste of time to live that way, when I don’t even know what makes you say that. The only thing I can think of is when I pretend I can speak french and in that instance I suppose I’m a “francaphony!” (like that one?) I assure you that I am not and if you would like to talk to me about it, it sounds like you could figure out how to get a hold of me. Now as for not being a good friend, I can only assume that you have felt in some way I have not been a good friend to you personally. And if I have done something you to to make you feel that way I am truly sorry. On the other hand if we are “friends” than attempting a character assassination is not a great act of friendship either. A “good friend” goes to their friend when they have a problem with them, and does not simply post anonymous attacks on the internet. Often the way it goes is that people hate their own struggle so they try to see their own flaws in other people. Could this be the case? Feel free to let me know… with a name attatched.

PS. You’re means “you are.” So unless I am my own brother and my own jokes I believe what you meant was “your.”

Feeling the Pressure

So now we’re rolling right deep into March and man I am feeling some mega stress and pressure! I literally have 20 freaking papers to write before school ends, I have to try my best to figure out what I am doing for employment for the summer and long term, I’m leading a youth group series on sex starting this week, we only have one more week of hockey on Friday nights, and I’m sick!! Oh man talk about pressure, how about the pressure that is making my head feel like it’s gonna explode! But as much as I could sit here and freak out (and I’m almost done) like I am, really I know that God is good, he is in control, and I am ok. He says he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and we can do all things because of the strength he lends. (Philippians 4:13) So even though things seem to be piling up and I’m not always sure where my path is leading, God does, so it’s ok. Because ultimately my plans are centered on him so I am sure for success! (Proverbs 16:3)

Encouragement

I’ve been doing a little griping on this here blog of mine and now I think it’s time for a little different tune. Yes “people talk” and it can put a downer on your day. But what if instead of slandering one another and tearing one another down, we encouraged one another and built one another up! What if when we felt like laying into someone, we just paid them a compliment? Ephesians 4:29 says we should only say things that build up others according to their needs and benefit those who listen. So I hope you can benefit from this post and instead of complaining, (something I’m guilty of too; just read some of these posts!) looking at what is good and verbalize it. A word of encouragement can mean the world to someone, it has to me.

People Talk

If there is one thing I’ve come to learn in life from observing the people around me it is that people talk. Pretty profound eh? Let me elaborate, people love to talk about other people. What they’ve said, done, their past, what their future may hold and just about any aspect of their personal lives they desire. And this is perfectly fine… to a point. You see there is a fine line that is often stumbled over or just blatantly crossed that moves one from mere chit-chat to gossip. And even worse, starting roomers. Why is it that we feel the need to share stories and information that damage another person’s reputation? What right do we have to question character? Especially when the storyteller, nine times out of 9.5, has nothing to do with the situation. This drives me bananas!

And here is the thing for those of you with loose lips, a roomer doesn’t have to be true to ruin a reputation. You can destroy someone’s world with a story that isn’t even true. By repeating information that there is no real way you could confirm it to be true. So before you jump to conclusions or repeat something that is none of your business ask yourself a few questions: Is this true? What is my motive for telling this story? What is my source? And “Will this hurt anyone?”

I’m sure we can find lots to talk about without slandering anyone so if you want to make up or pass along stories or start/continue roomers… make a long story short, don’t tell it.

Oh how I love to nap

Remember when you were a little kid, how much you hated naps. I remember hearing "nap time" and thinking, NOOOO! I don't want to nap! Well let me tell you! Now that I am 20 years old instead of 3, I love naps. I had an hour power snooze this afternoon and now I feel great! This is kind of a weird post and I'm sure this is 2 minutes you'll never have back but here it is and there ya go.

The Only Blond I Ever Loved

Well today would have been the 15th birthday of one of the best friends you could ever wish for. That would be the birthday of the "only blond I ever loved," a golden retriever named Chimo. "Chimo" is an Indian word for friend, a description that fit this gentle old dog perfectly. Chimo Died this summer while I was away working in Toronto and this is the first time her birthday has come around since she has passed away.

She was the greatest dog ever. Right from the time we got her in 1990 she was a perfect fit and a great addition to the Foreman Family. She used to chase my brother and I around the yard, wrestle and pull us around by our ski-pants and she just loved to be around people. Kids (like my brother and I) could pull on her tail, be rough with her, and poke at her but she was always as friendly and gentle as could be.

She was defiantly Dad's dog though, as much as she was loved as the family pet she was my fathers shadow for almost 15 years. Any time He was outside, she would be stuck to him and if he was inside and in clear view from a window she was right there in the window watching. Supper was a spectator sport! She had complete trust in him knowing that if she could see him she was safe and she would walk off a cliff if he pointed her that way because of her faith in him. She was the only dog I've ever seen who could do the back float.

I thought a lot about her today especially since in listened to a sermon this evening about obedience. I taught a "Adventure Club" lesson on obedience once using Chimo right there as an example and even in the middle of 40 kids screaming "PUPPY" she would still mind me. (Chimo was too old for adventure club at the time!)

Yup, she was a great dog and I still think about her quite a bit and sometimes it makes me sad but mostly I'm glad because she had a great full life with kids to grow up with, a great big property and loads of Love that was received as well as given. You may think it's foolish to get so wound up over a dog but she was a family member. And I just wanted to take a few minutes to remember her birthday and her life, thanks for taking it with me. And take a minute to spend with your pet or remembering one while I sit here and cry.

This is a picture of Me and my Pup in 1996 when I was 12 and Chimo was 6. 

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So when I moved back to PEI in the fall and moved into a new apartment I was trying to get my phone and internet hooked up. I did this through Aliant. They had a promotion on that said if I signed up for high speed internet over the phone or internet I would receive a brand new Mp3 player roughly worth about 125 bucks. This was a bit of a nuisance since I didn't have a phone or internet connection (isn't this why I go to alient in the first place?) but I found a phone to use and took the steps necessary to get this free gift. And to my utter shock and amazment, Alient yet again has not come through and says they did not agree to award me this gift and no where on my account with them does it say that I was ever to recieve one. Not that I need one all that bad and life goes on but man that is so typical of them and so frigging annoying. Not to mention that you have to wait on hold for 3 and a half years listening to crap music just to find out that a bunch of morons run the place. Anyway, i guess that is all for now.

Storm Stayed

Well we have just encountered our first blizzard of the season and the first snow day too. That is a rare occasion at college. But its snowing so hard and so much with major winds that you pretty much have to be crazy to go outside. And I am not crazy so here I am taking with you fine folks. But to tell you the truth, I don't really mind being stuck here. I like it here at my apartment, all my crap is here and I have nothing I really have to do all day. So there ya go. A boring post I'll admit but its the first one of the year so what can ya do? You don't like it? Leave! ha he ah... just kidding, please stay.. no wait!

Thankful

We don't have to be thankful for everything that happens, but we can be thankful in it. A lesson that I contantly need to be reminded of. I've found myself complaining and looking on the negitive side of life way too much when I have way too much to be thankful for. Sure, there are always things in life that get you down, but you can always be thankful in all things.

Thankful in all things? Why? I'll tell you why! Because God is good, God is in control, and God loves and cares for us. Even in strife... especially in strife! And He will carry you through if you let him. Even when life seems terrible, God is there, and He is in control. AND GOD IS GOOD! Just ask Job, he'll tell ya! Even if all is stripped away, you can still have a relationship with the creator of the universe and that is more than one could ever ask. I am thankful for that today.