The things I don't know. Last night turned out to be quite a lesson for me as I tried to reconcile my mind and my heart. From time to time (though thankfully the time between the times is long) I find myself wondering if I love my girlfriend the way I should love her. There is never any question of the fact that I do love her, but I wonder if there is enough substance and foundation to our relationship in its present state to survive a relationship beyond dating. I told Lola (not her real name, and no she isn't a showgirl) about everything I was feeling, it was a good conversation. I just don't know if I am any further along now then i was before. I have spent a long time trying to learn about what love is. I took a whole semester to lead a Bible Study about love, I write about it, and think about it, and I feel like I know no more now then I did when I started. I have come to wonder if it is something one can ever understand.

A child has no problem grasping this concept. They have no acquired knowledge of love, they just do it. They love without question, and they do it better than most adults. Have I been so corrupted?

To steal an idea from Paul, I can have all the knowledge in the world, acquire every degree available, speak every language (including those of angels), write novels and symphonies, all this and more, but if I have not love it is nothing. I think I finally understand what he was trying to say.

It has taken me 22 years to learn something I probably innately knew from the start if I would have only listened. Perhaps I am lucky to have discoved it at such a young age, I know there are many who are still working on that concept. Yet I still feel like I am no closer with this understanding now then I was before. You see, the same problem still lies before me. I may know what Paul was trying to tell me, but actually having love the way a child has love, that is the ultimate challenge. May God help us all.

-Art

P.S. - This blog is more than just a forum for my musing, my waxing philosphical. I want to learn here as much as teach, please feel free to comment to anything I say, I welcome it.

I have no idea what to write about. I started writing about dreams, but after about a paragraph and a half I backspaced half of it and then selected and deleted the rest (and I only did that when I realized hitting backspace was taking so long). I think I was just trying to be too profound. I love my dreams most of the time, and I really think God is trying to speak something to me through some of those dreams. Only problem is, Im not some kind of jungian analyst. Dreams escape me in my sleep and they escape me in real life. Maybe I ought not worry about it and just enjoy them for what they are. If God wants to speak to me, may I understand the words He is using.

Oh man, now I am tired, see what I get for thinking to early in the morning. Thats the end of that.

-Art

Hey! Hey! Hey!
That is what the little boy outside the store keeps yelling. Over and over he repeats that word. He says it forcefully and with passion. Everytime someone walks by. Hey!
I miss the days when I could sit there and yell for the sake of hearing my voice. Then it was cute, or atleast expected of a kid of such a young age, now if I were to sit out there and yell Hey! over and over again they would probably remove me from the mall. It is funny how those things happen. The changes age brings.

Live it up kid, enjoy your cuteness and everthing it brings. Being sexy just doesn't have the same benifits. HA HA HA.

If you think about it, I guess that age of cuteness that brings with it soo many social graces doesn't truely end, it just gets post-poned. There is another age that allows you to act without inhibitions, here's to being a dirty old man. HEY!

-Art

This whole creating things just doesn't seem to be working for me. It is a good thing I am not God or we would not have a day three at all, say goodbye to tuesday. I don't know what happened, I guess I just got too busy yesterday, but it was a good time all in all.

I don't know that I have alot to say about yesterday. I will say this however, my roomates girlfriend Kristen had a brilliant idea. All night prayer and worship! Is that not a great idea or what?! You know what is funny, if you had brought that idea to me as little as 5 years ago I don't know if I would have been so excited, I think I probably would have found it a very boring way to spend an entire night. That just goes to show you how much closer I am to God now then when I was first entering into college. If it wasn't for the people I met at IV, I wouldn't be the person I am now. As I got to know these people, I was encouraged by them to seek first God and his kingdom. I made it my desire to do that. Funny thing is, as I started to make this my desire I discovered it wasn't really my desire to begin with, God was forming me. He was and is working in my heart, cleaning and rebuilding areas all the time.

Best part yet. I am scheming again. I can't disclose too much information right away, but just know that it is going to be a pleasant suprise so long as God desires it.

Alright, that is a good start for today. Keep reading and I will keep posting.

-Art

On the second day God seperated the expanses and created sky... And me? I woke up with a twitchy eyelid. It has been along time since the last time my eyelid twiched, it is the most bizzare feeling in the world. It is like someone had attached a fishing line to my eyelid and would give it a few gentle tugs every few moments. Just enough for me remember I didn't have total control.

So far nothing particularly exciting has happened, but I suppose that is the problem with writing at the beginning of the day, not enough time has passed for major excitement. At least not today, but for that I am thankful, no sense in waking up and discovering half the world has floated off into space after being severed and set into motion by a gang of teenage extra terestrials who had too much to drink. Not that I really think that would ever happen. Im not sure what I think of the existence of aliens, doesn't much concern me at the moment though.

On the other hand, I do believe in the existence of other worlds, but not far off in space, rather right here among us. Not to try and scare anyone, but there is a spiritual battle going on and we go on completely unaware that we are the very ones whos fate rests on the outcome of the battle. It is the long time battle between good and evil, heaven and hell, God and Satan. God will win, do not doubt that, but make sure you know where you stand and which side you take, it is important, it is eternity. Why do I bring this up? I saw Constantine last night, it was a great movie. It strengthend in my mind the reality of the war, granted it was alot of visual effects and hollywood heroics that did it, but keep in mind, the things on this earth are only a reflection of either the glory of God or the evil of Satan.

-Art

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and I created a weblog. Alright, so it isn't nearly has amazing as what God did, but it is a start... Then again maybe it is the middle. Technically I have been around for about 22 years and some odd months, I just haven't gone by the name Aritmus Jones. That is a made up name. I created it about 2 years ago and then forgot about it until recently, now it/he/I am back. My real name is Shaun, and you are more than welcome to refer to me as such, infact, I like my name alot and no one calls me Artimus Jones as it is. So why create a name like Artimus Jones for a blog? pseudonym perhaps? I don't really know. Why not?!

Anyway, I kind of don't believe that I am actually doing this to begin with. I have enjoyed reading other people blogs, but never really imagined myself writing one. I think I just need something to keep me busy here at work. It is kind of slow this time of year, so I haven't much to do. Maybe I will use this space to post my new work (im in a band and kind of fancy myself as a writer). Or maybe I will use this as a form of decompression. Or maybe I will just ramble. Those who know me know that is what I do best. I like to talk, just usually I can see or atleast envision someone on the recieving end; even if they aren't actually being receptive at the time.
Who knows what this will become. I guess you will just have to stay tuned and find out. Hows that for a hook?! Can't beat a classic bit of "stay tuned" or "until next time" television lingo. So with that:

This is Artimus Jones signing off. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures!!!

-Art