for desparate measures Well, it is official. Come August, my family is moving.

Yes...moving. To Florida. Marco Island, FL (in with my grandaddy)

I have lived in the same house my entire life.
I've gone to the same church all of my life.
I was born here. I walked here. I laughed here.
I cried here. I loved someone here. I grew up here.
I got hurt here. I learned here. I played here.
My friends are here. My band is here. My life.
The list goes on and on and on and on and on....

BUT

Above everything (besides God), family is the most important thing in my life. Without family, we are nothing. My Grandaddy needs us, and we're going to be there for him. This isn't a permanent thing...We may only be down there for one year. It's for the good of the family that we're doing this. Yes, it's hard, because deep down, I know that I'm leaving my life. I mean, I have to admit, I am very comfortable right now. I have the most amazing house ever filled with memories. I have a lush and tree-covered yard which I've spent so much time in. I have Corning, filled with friends from West High, East High, Corning Christian Academy, North Baptist Church, Victory Highway, etc. I have my friends in Bath, which honestly, have almost become closer to me than a lot of my Corning friends. In Bath, there's Konnected, there's New Vine, there's the network/ministry people themselves, there's some NEW friends that I've just recently really gotten to know, and I want to know more. There's my friends in Wayland, seemingly so far away, yet so close to me. The band, Perilous Times...one of my other families. We're having so much fun with this band, and people seem to really like us. There's some of my friends that have moved away, cause they've already graduated, or I just don't get to see them very much. There's friends in Elmira, friends in Big Flats, friends in Addison, etc.

My LIFE is here. In Florida, I'm not going to know anybody. Nobody is going to know me. It's almost like starting back at the beginning... BUT, this entire thing is an adventure. You know me, I'm hardly ever a pessimist...ever. I'm actually really excited about this. I'm leaving everything I'm comfortable with and love and moving... I'll have my God, who is number 1, and my family, who is number 2, so I couldn't really ask for any more, could I? Besides, I'll still get to visit up North every once in awhile. And the thing that is really keeping me going, it that I know that I can go about this two ways. One is to fight against my parents and hate this situation and fuss about it and argue and hate it and think about everything I'm leaving. The other option is to accept the downsides and focus on all the adventurous wonders about this move. What if there is some HUGE opportunity waiting to happen or door waiting to be opened. What if my future is waiting to happen down in Florida. Someone I meet. Some place I go. Something wonderful happens.

I don't know what will happen, but I know that my family has my back, and I have theirs. We're all in this together, as anxious as we may be. Like I said, it's an adventure. Here we go.  ¶ 8:10:00 AM 4 Comments

  doe a deer I'm in study hall right now waiting to leave to go to our chorus rehearsal over at Victory Highway. We have a concert tonight in which I am accompanying the high school chorus on piano. I have a duet in one of the songs with Kaitlin, which I'm sure is going to very well.

Come if you wish. I believe it is at 7:00PM.

Anyways, I am really glad it's the week right now. Instead of weekends being for relaxing and the week being hectic, my life right now is the opposite. This past weekend was non-stop. I mean, every single thing I did was really fun and awesome, but Sunday night, it was like hitting a wall. I was so exhausted.

I have to go to my chorus concert, but I'll update more later... maybe.


-Jeff  ¶ 10:11:00 AM 2 Comments

  moo poo This week has been extremely awesome and is going to continue to be, hopefully. Although some of my days are mixed up in my mind, my week so far has consisted of going to a bagel shop on Market Street with the two other seniors of my class (which we've been doing more and more of lately), watching parts of X3 in school (since I have a ton of study halls), having an awesome Konnected practice with some new stuff, dinner + Spiderman 3 (second time I've seen it) + hanging out afterwards in the freezing cold (as I was in a small polo and shorts) with Rachelle Snavely, and TODAY...hanging out with Josh Best and his little brother, Jordan, (and eventually all his family) all the rest of the day after school (bache ball, 500 with a huge green rubber ball, food, xbox, music, rhyming [don't ask], transfer of houses, more food, DDR, drive).

It's been the best week ever. Oh yeah, and on top of that, I haven't had ANY homework all week (and p.s. my college class finished up last Thursday and no final for that, so I'm completely done!!!). I'm getting ready to go to bed, though, because tomorrow, Ryan and I are going to Hershey Park all day with lots of people from our school as a field trip. It's gonna be really fun. Then, on Saturday, I have a Konnected concert in Nework which will be awesome, as always. THEN, on Sunday, I'm going to church then Wayland (for band practice)!! I am soo happy right now. I love life.

I do, though, do not like asthma. But oh well. If that's the worst thing happening to me right now, I'm good.

-Jeffrey :)  ¶ 10:44:00 PM 3 Comments

  Until I Die and Ever Beyond I'm so glad I have the Truth to fight for.  ¶ 9:24:00 PM 1 Comments

  cyclic update ...an e-letter my dad sent to friends and family.... I figured you all might appreciate a look-see.

Dear wonderful family and friends,

Since receiving the news of her step-mother’s home-going on March 17, Cathy and I have been together under our own roof in Painted Post for a grand total of five nights. It’s been quite the adventure. We have taken turns assisting her dad work through a myriad of issues at his apartment in Florida as well as his apartment in Cleveland . He has been a real trouper. It has been a privilege and an honor to help him through this very difficult time.

As I’m typing this, Cathy is driving home from her sister’s house in West Virginia where she is leaving her dad for the next few weeks. This paves the way for the next adventure for us.

Cathy gets home today; does her laundry tomorrow, repacks her suitcase on Saturday and then flies with me on Sunday, May 14 to San Diego, CA so I can begin the first two-week phase of cancer treatments at the Oasis of Hope Cancer Clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. We are very excited to begin in earnest our plan of attack for my prostate cancer after having been diagnosed in November.

We sat down with our calendars and explored when in our crazy schedule we could fit in two weeks away from home (together); and the 3rd and 4th weeks in May turned out to be the only realistic time in the next many weeks. But that meant that a lot of major hurdles had to be overcome a very short period of time.

We prayed about it and said, “Lord, if you want this to happen, you’re going to have to pull it all together, because it seems beyond us to be able to do this.”

He did. Finances, airline tickets, hospital registration, kid transportation, more time away from the ministry… He took care of all of these things to make it possible for us to go.

We praise God for meeting all of these needs.

We will to Painted Post to begin logging some time under our own roof TOGETHER again on May 25th, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

Our love to you,

Jim & Cathy

Prayer Requests:
. Pray for safe travel to and from California (May 14-25)
. Pray for the doctors to have wisdom in my treatment program
. Pray for safety for the boys while we’re gone
. Pray for Dave to find a summer job
. Praise for Jeff finding a summer job
. Pray for guidance in decisions regarding Cathy’s dad  ¶ 5:10:00 PM 1 Comments

  taffy Have you ever had times where you don't know what exactly you are feeling, but you just get different feelings all at once? I don't know if it's the fact that I'm almost done with my elementary/middle/high school educational experience or what, but recently, I've been having these feelings of confusion in the area of career or passion. I just feel like I'm doing so much in my life right now, like I'm being really stretched. The thing is, I am enjoying what I'm doing, but it's almost like I'm doing so much that I can't really devote myself 100% to one of them, or even a couple or few. I'm trying to spread myself too thin, I think. Well, not TRYING to, but that is how it's working out. It's like I'll have spurts. There are times when I'll be devoting myself 100% to Perilous Times and other things will go second. Then there are times where my schedule is 90% Konnected and 10% Perilous Times. Then there are times when I have school, church, or freelance work taking up my whole schedule. Then there is this and that and this other thing and that thing over there. Then there are the things which I really want to do, but I can't even begin to think about, because it'd be impossible with my present schedule... like PEOPLE. I mean, I love my band, and I love Konnected, and I have the greatest of friends in both. The problem is, some of my other friends have been left out to dry because of my busy schedule.... OR there are some new friends which I'd really love to get to know more, but it's hard to get any free time. I just feel like I'm pleasing everyone too much and at the same time hurting people as well somehow, and I can't stand that. I'm glad God's given me specific abilities that I can use for him and help others out, but what happens when those abilities get in the way of the more important things like relationships. And even above that, I have my family situations going on. My family comes before all my other life things, and this past year has been one of the craziest years for us. So many things have happened that has required all of us to stretch to unfathomable levels. We've grown together through it all though. I just am afraid that some of my friends might not see all the behind-the-scenes stuff though and think that I am not committed to this or not devoted to this, when in reality, I'm working my butt of to try and get six or seven hours of sleep every night. I don't know. I've just had a lot of feelings of lack of direction and guidance. The worst part is, this has been going on for a long time, and I'm stupid enough to still fall to it every time. It's lack of time spent with God. I'm going to go spend some time getting caught up with him.

In general, prayer for my family would be really appreciated at this present time.



I hope what I just said made sense, because I'm tired. I just needed to get that out, whatever THAT may be.

-Jeff Carl  ¶ 10:19:00 PM 1 Comments

  Finish Line Coming down the home stretch....

This week is the last week of my college class. I'm trying to work my butt of to get an entire research paper done by tomorrow (+ extra credit due by tomorrow), and I have one more assignment due Thursday, but then it will be all over! It was pretty fun overall.

Less than a month left of school. That is so exciting. I need to start working on graduation party invitations.

My mom and dad are leaving Sunday to go to Mexico for two weeks. That should be interesting being home alone for two weeks. :) We'll manage, I'm sure. Besides, we'll stay occupied.

I'm excited for the summer. It's already looking really promising. I have a job, which is awesome. Mon-Fri 7:30AM to 5:00PM, but I have every night and weekend off, which works out well for me. Ask me about it later if you wanna know more. We're going on vacation in July (probably leaving on my birthday, actually). Perilous Times will be having some gigs. Konnected will be having some gigs. Graduation parties. Birthdays. Camps. It'll be awesome.

Okay, bed time. I'd post more, but.... I can't.

Goodnight.

-Jeff  ¶ 11:12:00 PM 0 Comments

  On the road again... I'm getting stuff together to have another interesting weekend...

Around lunch time today, Mom, Ryan, and I are leaving to head to Cleveland, OH. We're heading out there to pick up my Grandaddy's car, so that it can be at our house. Tomorrow, Ryan, Dad, and I are driving back home, but Ryan and I are stopping in Jamestown on the way back to go to my Konnected concert, which will be really fun, because Greg and Aidan are coming all the way from Corning to see it. After that, Ryan and I'll drive all the way home, so that I can wake up early Sunday morning for praise team practice/church. It'll be a full, fun weekend.

I got a job this week. I'm so excited...it's basically the perfect job opportunity. Ask me about it if you wanna know more, 'cause I don't have time to explain. Just wanted to give everyone a little update.

Oh, oh, and take a look at my solo project. :)



-Jeff  ¶ 6:50:00 AM 2 Comments