From the Present:

Today at the project I work for that helps orphaned and impoverished kids in Central America, our kids went on a field trip to a water park. As we packed the little rabble rousers into three “chicken buses”, there was such elation and excitement in the air. Most of the kids could barely keep their feet on the ground.

Though I don’t have kids of my own, I did feel a tinge of parental hesitation as I reminded our teachers and volunteers how important it was to keep a watchful eye on the kids. The 2Points 4Honesty project has been great at reminding me what it was like to think with the innocent mind of a child about life. It makes me smile to think of those kids enjoying themselves at the water park – a day that will surely be remembered for decades as one of the best days of their young lives.

I want to try to recapture as much of that childhood enthusiasm as possible. Let’t get excited about stuff!

Going outside? Awesome! 

Dogs? Awesome!

Pets? Awesome! 

Friends? The best!

When we’re young, every day is the best day ever. This doesn’t need to change just because we’re old and have seen some injustice. Let’s make everyday, every moment of every day the best moment ever. Let’s set our personalities on fire and not live the sort of life Thoreau dubbed a life of “Quiet desperation.”

Though I don’t remember the night wrote this journal entry specifically, it’s a night I’ve had scores of in the last fifteen years – late nights laying in bed contemplating the day, contemplating my life with a pen and paper in my hands. Though religion no longer occupies the same space in my life it once did and I no longer thank Jesus as I once did as a child, I still consider quiet nights spent in reflection after a full day as a religious experience of sorts. It’s moments like these that seem to make everything about life wholly worthwhile.

From the Past

September, 13th 1996 – Age 11

Today we hardly did any schooling (I was homeschoold for four wonderful years) because mom was at rummage sales(when you have nine brothers and sisters, you better believe we got our clothes secondhand). It’s great being outside. I really enjoy Boots now (Boots was my cat). The itch weed is dead now in the woods. We went to the sports show today.

[Something I later erased]

Right now it’s late as I write this. I like staying up late and like getting up early. Thank you Jesus for all you do for me.

From the Present: 

Little did I know when I was eleven years old and erased a part of my journal planning on forever striking it from the record that now when I was 26 I would have the high tech technology (iPhoto) to recover the erased section. By messing with the brightness and contrast, the message was salvaged and can be read. Take that 11 year old Luke and your eraser!

From the Past: 

And I like Jessica as a little more than a friend now. Okay, a lot more.

From the Present: 

Oh how love dies slowly and difficultly. Two years after Jessica came into my life, and I was still finding myself head over heals for her. But that’s the way romance has always been for me. It’s intense. It makes me understand all those unreadable 18th century poems lamenting or rejoicing in love. Love is like setting yourself on fire. 

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