"So...are you a non-traditional student?" "No...I'm the professor."

So I love life.

Despite all the crap, worry, classwork, drama, and any other negative item, I love life.

God is good to me. He blesses me with a wonderful girlfriend, a place to live, food to eat, and entertainment to be had. And even though I often complain about the blessings I take for granted, some nights I lay in bed and realize, "Hey, life isn't really that bad after all."

I was up until 3AM last night thinking and praying and talking to myself. It didn't do much other than make me sleepy, but I hope my prayers did some good for some other people. I've been under a lot of stress this semester, but I just keep pushing for April 1 - It seems like due dates will slack off once I get to that date.

I am getting anxious for the Girlfriend and I to go to Michigan, and all events associated with and after that. I know she is nervous, but I can't wait to drive her around my old stomping grounds, to take her to my new hang outs, and to spend nights with my brother and best friend just goofing around and being us. It's going to be a blast, and my parents are super-excited about it too. They're planning day trips for us, and meals, and lots of other things. I cannot wait.

The Girlfriend asked me the other night, if we were teaching together at the same college, what would we be like? She compared us to the professor couples here on campus, but I think we are beyond that. We'll be unique...her in her hip clothes teaching kids about writing, me in jeans and a polo teaching kids about story-writing and ministry. Then we'll get done with the day, and either go hang out with some of the kids from campus, or tear off down the road on my motorcycle to spend the evening on the couch, snuggling with each other and whatever creatures live with us at the time (four-legged and furry creatures are what I am referring to here...but spawn could be there too).

I want to be one of those professors who gets mistaken for a non-traditional student...hence the title of this post. Not in a way that loses respect for me in my students eyes. But in a way that I can connect with the kids, that I can influence their lives outside of the classroom, and that I can get them out of the class and DOING ministry (speaking of which, I should blog on my idea for "teaching" ministry...maybe later).

It's thoughts like this that make me happy. And it's thoughts like this that help me to push on past the crap and head into the future, smiling and unafraid.

I love good music. Just throwing that out there. I'm jealous of all those who can play it...and I also beg that they buy some lyrics off of me!

But...it is about time for a shower and a shave. Good day, all.