Slow Motion These next three weeks are going to be so absolutely amazing.

This week is work (lots of work), because I'm working overtime today and tomorrow, hence why I am writing this journal entry at 11:00 at night at "work", 'cause I'm spending the night here, and the kids are both already in bed. I'm writing this on this massive like 28inch widescreen LCD display... It's prettay sweet. I feel so small, which I like.

Anyways, also this week is more recording (Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat.)!!! THE BAND IS RECORDING AGAIN, which is so awesome. We're recording with Evan, which'll especially be cool, and I think it's really going to turn out great.

This Sunday, though, Evan and I are going along with my family to South Carolina (Myrtle Beach) to spend a week on the beach for vacation... so stoked for that.

The week after next, however, is 5-6 days in Virginia near Lynchburg so Perilous Times can provide the music (worship and original) for a camp there designated for foster kids. I'm so excited, and even more, Evan might be able to stay for that camp too, which would be absolutely even more awesome.

THEN we're coming back home, back to reality/normal life.

I'm so excited. Especially for thing one.... RECORDING.

-Jeff Carl  ¶ 10:52:00 PM 0 Comments

  all the right things
for all the right reasons
we'll never know the depth
of your love
all the right things
for all the right reasons
sometimes you have to lose
to win

-Ascribe... an amazing song.


Life is good right now. My job is pretty tiring, but totally awesome so far. The kids all in all have been great. The parents are cool. It's just all around good.

Tomorrow I get to meet with Mrs. Drake and catch up with her. I'm really excited for that.

I love singing.

Friday night is a campfire at Evan's. I'm so excited to see everyone, like josh and brielle and peeps...

I have a possible buyer for my car! :)

I got pretty much all of my grad-thank-you's done...

My parents are in Mexico right now.

We're going on vacation soon.

Perilous Times is performing in VA in July!

Life is pretty exciting....

-Jeff  ¶ 9:44:00 PM 1 Comments

  The Line of Success "To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch... to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." -Christian D. Larson


I am so excited for the future.


We're leaving for West Virginia today. Family reunion stuff. :) I'm really excited, 'cause not only do we get to see distant family and stuff, but we also get to go white water rafting on a Class 5 river! We're coming home on Sunday. Mom and Dad are leaving on Monday to go back to Mexico for a week. Monday is also my first official week of work (7:30am - 5:00pm).

Life is just amazing right now. Like I mentioned, there have been moments where I really start feeling down about moving, but it's totally not worth it. I'm so happy right now. Things with my "old friends" are going great right now, and I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my "new friends". I know that sounds retarded referring to you guys like that, but I hope you know what I mean. I've gotten to hang out/talk with people like Greg, Katie, Rikki, and the Band. Things have been great. ANNND I've also gotten to spend a lot of time with my newer friends like Josh, Evan, (Konnected people as a whole), and Rachelle. Things are just awesome right now. I want this summer to be absolutely amazing since I'm moving in August. It's off to a great start!

-Jeff  ¶ 8:18:00 AM 2 Comments

  in, not of I thought Christians were supposed to be in the world, but not of it.

Yeah, we all have bad days and stuff, but come on, people... we have so much to be happy about. Why do all the smallest things have to be blown out of proportion. Why does there constantly have to be stress? Why can't people just simply be happy for the sake of being happy?

I feel like I talk about this all the time. Maybe I'm the weird one for just being optimistic 99% of the time, but I honestly don't think that's it. I think we live in in a world that is constantly finding something to grumble about. Something to whine about. Something to stress about. Something to be sad about. But that's not us. We have something so much more. It's true. Life can be down, but let's get real guys... in the end, what really matters?

I wish I could change the fact that happiness is today's minority.


Thankfully, recently (being the last year/months or so), I've found some really really cool new friends that share this thought with me. I'm glad, because some of the friends I have now are just like what I described. I almost feel out of place or uncomfortable when I'm with them, because that's not me. I'm not asking the world to be me. That'd be horrible. Just... stop focusing on yourself and open your eyes. There is so much to be happy about.

Am I (and a couple of my friends) alone?
Cause sometimes I feel that way.

-Jeffrey  ¶ 11:58:00 PM 2 Comments

  weak legs Well... today is over. What an absolutely wonderful day. I feel like I'm about 5 hours behind the real time, because even now, my minds like.....

OH WOW, THAT PERSON WAS THERE... and OH YEAH I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH SO AND SO...

the whole day was sort of a blur, but a very colorful, awesome, friendly, warm and fuzzy blur. Everyone was great, and there were soooo many people that were generous enough to take time out of their day to show... I have to admit, it was pretty huge at some points. I didn't know what to do aside from just "floating" around saying hi to whoever. I wish my grad party could have been three days long so I could actually spend time with everyone. I felt bad a lot of times, 'cause I'd say hi to someone, talk to them for two seconds, then rush over to someone else.

Anywayssss... people were awesome, and they were so gracious with their gifts and cards. Today was certainly awesome. I'd update more about it, but I'm tired, soooo I'll leave it at that.

Goodnight everyone. Thanks to all who came. It really really really meant a lot to me. Seriousely. Especially since I'm moving this August.... anyways.

goodnight.  ¶ 12:20:00 AM 2 Comments

  as our lives change First of all... , is it bad that I think Kathy Griffin is funny? I don't care that she's on the d-list. haha... She cracks me up. Anywayssss...

The house is bustling with excitement. Not in the sense of lots of people (yet), but just the excitement of the end of the school year and my graduation.

It was sunny today. I mowed our lawn, so it's all pretty (and I'm probably going to have to mow it one more time before my party). I've gotten a lot of my invites out, and people are RSVPingish. Schedules are aligning for John to come home for graduation. My Aunt Linda and soon-to-be "Uncle" Joe are coming up from Philladelphia. My Uncle Tom's gonna be here. Plans are finalizing with Perilous Times performing at the party. My mom went shopping tonight and got baloons (sorry, Kaitlin), tooooons of food, and she "ordered" a special graduation cake. TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. It's all quite exciting.

So that's about it... just a random little update. I am continuing to get flashes of mixed emotions regarding Florida. It's beginning to morph into the two extremes now. Before, I was sort of just content with the situation. I knew I was moving, and I knew I was leaving. Now, I'm getting moments of just being soooo stinken excited about living on Marco Island, Fl, and other moments I think about how much I'm really really going to miss my friends. BUT, in the end, I'm still happy about FL.

---- just me.  ¶ 10:17:00 PM 1 Comments

  this is my now You know what. As I've told people about the move, lots of them have brought up the obvious "sad things" about moving. When I first began thinking about the move, I was immediately excited for some reason, totally ignoring the downsides. I was looking at it as an adventure. Then, like I said, some people started talking about all the downsides. It started getting me down.

Then I stopped, because....no, I'm not going to do that. See, I am totally aware of all the downsides. Believe me, I know all the things I'm leaving. It's so hard to think about sometimes. Everything I know is here in New York. I have made a lifetime of memories. My friends mean everything to me.

But you know what? My family means more. It is amazing how much I take my family for granted. I had the best childhood. It's hard to believe it's gone. I'm graduating. When I hear my parents talk about their childhood during random conversations, I'm so amazed, because it seems like a different world out there. THAT'S ME. I just lived that. I can't go back. The only thing I have is the memory. So believe me, everything I love is here in my memory, here in New York, here at home. My family is entering a new stage, though...

My brother John lives in Virginia. My sister and brother-in-law live in Charlotte, North Carolina. My relatives all live far away. Family is all that matters in the end, because no matter how far people move away.... however many friends said goodbye to... however many houses left... family is still there. That is the whole point of this move. We're living with my Grandaddy. So yes, I'm sad about what I'm leaving. Yes, I'm scared for the rest of my life, where I'm going to go... Yes, this is a HUGE thing...

but..

I'm not going to focus on the bad side. This opportunity is so exciting. It's jumping into a swirling, scintillating abyss of the unknown. My future could be waiting to happen down in Fl. There are so many what-ifs.... if I'm focusing on the bad constantly, what if I miss something important in my life? I could miss the door to my future.

I hope I didn't come across in the wrong way in this entry... I'm just really excited about this. I really am. Scared. Nervous. Curious. But happy. And best of all... with family.

I love my syblings. I love my parents. I do.



This is my now,
And I am breathing in the moment.
As I look around,
I can’t believe the love I see.
My fear’s behind me,
Gone are the shadows and doubt.
That was then.
This is my now.  ¶ 10:55:00 PM 2 Comments