[Somnambulist]

So I lived with mustbenothing this summer and he introduced me to CGR. I've got so much dirt on him, so if you want to know, you know where to come. Anyway, here's some bio.

I was born in Houston and lived there for 7 years. Our family went to Bethel Independent Presbyterian Church (how's that for an oxymoron?) where my parents had been married. When my dad got his Ph. D. we moved to Murray, KY, where he taught for 7 years. I really never liked anything about Kentucky. The schools were horrible and there was no Tex-Mex. I breathe Tex-Mex. The church situation was even more shady there. We ended up going to a couple Southern Baptist churches. We tried starting a PCA church with a few other families in the vicinity, but it fell through because the pastor-to-be and his wife divorced. Sad times.

I'm going to try to get through all my points of dorkhood in one paragraph and then return to actual bio. Prepare yourself. I started playing chess the year I got to Murray. People always ask how good I am. My response is always "better than some and not as good as others". I don't really know how you're supposed to tell someone how good you are at something. In seventh grade our team (from Murray, KY, of all places) placed second at the national junior high championship in NY. I actually got to travel quite a bit for chess throughout the years. Since then, I haven't played a whole lot, though my Mom is actually very involved in the chess world now. I also learned how to play the euphonium and trombone in Murray during middle school. It got me interested in movie soundtracks, which comprise a majority of my music collection today. I've also got a lot of classical cd's (Shostakovic, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Mussorgsky, etc.: mostly romantic period composers). Recently, I've gotten into Sarah Brightman. I've always liked math and I'm almost done with my actuarial science degree from Texas. Obviously I want to be an actuary, which is more or less a statistician on drugs. I might one day pursue actuarial law, which would be amazingly ridiculous. I've also considered getting into voice-overs on the side. My dream job would be doing movie previews. I also want to be a Supreme Court Justice. Some day I'll develop some aspirations.

Anyway, my dad decided teaching wasn't for him (something about none of the students doing homework...) and we moved to Plano, TX, right before my freshman year of high school. Tex-Mex heaven was restored and I was quick to make up for lost time. High school was a lot better education-wise, too. The church situation was good, as we had half a dozen PCA churches to choose from. We went to Trinity in Plano for a while and left after the new pastor tried to "modernize" the worship service. Since then, we've gone to Redeemer in McKinney, which had been recently planted by PCPC. There's just nothing disappointing about Texas. I chose UT because it was a big school in Texas that was good academically, had a solid football team, and a plethora of chicas guapas. I started out as an electrical engineering major, hated it, changed to computer science, hated it, changed to economics, lived with it, and recently added math (actuarial science). This is year 5. I go to RUF and Redeemer (PCA) here in Austin.

My family's totally great. I may talk about them more later. I have an older sister who lives in college station who's recently married (yes, she did go to A&M ), a younger brother who will be coming to UT next year, and an adorable younger sister who's in 7th grade. My dad's a CPA and is heavily involved in the PCA (not to be confused) and boy scouts. My mom teaches chess, maintains a beautiful garden, and cooks wonderfully.

I guess that's good for a start. Off to bed.

[sorefingers]

Hey, another Princess Bride fan!
Welcome to the blogs! Sounds like you have had an interesting life. I'll be sure to post later!

Grace & Peace
Luke

[Mike Graham]

CPA is.... accounting, right?

Princess Bride stuff is highly prized here.... or at least it is now. Always great to see more and more and more Princess Bride fans, as it is quite the awesome movie.

[benj]

Interesting stuff. I've been to PCPC once and it really is a great church. Look forward to your postings in here.

[Somnambulist]

My family has long quoted Princess Bride. I'm thankful for such a timeless classic. Aside from the entire battle of wits, the quote I use most often is mostly dead, but perhaps my favorite quote is enduring a shortage.

CPA is accounting (Certified Public Accountant). My dad's dad was also one, and my dad had the foresight to maintain his (it requires yearly renewal) while teaching in Kentucky.

I, like all the other UT students on CGR, am a huge football fan (if that wasn't already apparent). I intend to make my predictions here for each game. My predictions for the first game were as follows (including actual results in bold:

Score: 51-9 66-7
Touchdowns by Roy Williams: 1-2 2
Touchdowns by Cedric Benson: 2-3 1

Roy has been my favorite player since he got here. I wear his jersey to the games. Derrick Johnson has been my favorite defensive player since he got here. Both are ranked in the top 50 players in the nation. Roy, of course, is a Heisman contender. He had 104 yards on 4 receptions and 2 touchdowns on Sunday. Derrick had a 47 yard interception return for a touchdown. Both are in the 6'5-225 range.

We're off this week, but I'll post my predictions for the Arkansas game next Thursday or so.

[Luke]

Stephen:
John & Elli tell me it's your birthday. Happy birthday!

Grace & Peace
Luke

[Chrysostom]

Stephen -- come to our party tonight (at my house on 33rd). I need some friends amidst the crowd

The Luke/sorefingers similarity ("Grace&Peace" -- Luke) is intriguing.

Keep it real on the blog, Somnambulist. Just don't let too much dirt on me slip, or I'll smegmanate you :-p

[sorefingers]

Originally Posted by Somnambulist

My family has long quoted Princess Bride. I'm thankful for such a timeless classic. Aside from the entire battle of wits, the quote I use most often is mostly dead, but perhaps my favorite quote is enduring a shortage.

"When I found you, you were so slobbering drunk you couldn't buy brandy. And you: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless. Do you want me to send you back to where you were, unemployed . . . in Greenland?"

CPA is accounting (Certified Public Accountant). My dad's dad was also one, and my dad had the foresight to maintain his (it requires yearly renewal) while teaching in Kentucky.

Smart man.

We're off this week, but I'll post my predictions for the Arkansas game next Thursday or so.

Be sure to do it before the game this time.

Originally Posted by mustbenothing

The Luke/sorefingers similarity ("Grace&Peace" -- Luke) is intriguing.

My name is Luke also, I see nothing wrong with signing it that way.

Grace & Peace
Luke

[The Cheat]

Originally Posted by mustbenothing

Keep it real on the blog, Somnambulist. Just don't let too much dirt on me slip, or I'll smegmanate you :-p

Was that REALLY necessary??

*silently curses the Dictionary for the Highly Literate*

[Chrysostom]

If you can't have inside jokes on a blog, what can you have?

[Somnambulist]

My birthday went pretty well. My friends took me to the Cheesecake Factory to eat and thankfully there were no girls present. It's often hard to enjoy food when there are girls around. I think having to use manners is one of our many failed attempts to redeem ourselves from the Fall. Seriously. Who enjoys eating with manners? Well, really the only manners I don't like following are eating slowly and only one entree.

Anyway, this was #22 for me. Ever feel like so much has happened in your life but you haven't really done anything? Mind-boggling. And I don't know the first of it. It's incredible how "one of these days" so many things are going to happen, when in fact it's this mentality that forbids such things from happening. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

I like to use birthdays (and new years) as times to reflect on what God has done. Sometimes I'll try to think about what God has done for me, but more often than not, that only ends in frustration. Haha...I was just reminded of the song we used to sing in Sunday School:

Stop! And let me tell you what the Lord has done for me.
Stop! And let me tell you what the Lord has done for me.
He forgave my sins and He saved my soul;
He cleansed my heart and He made me whole.
Stop! And let me tell you what the Lord has done for me.

But what the Bible leads me towards instead is what God has done for His People. It's so hard to see the God's work in my life. I think that may always be true. But when you read the Scriptures, you can't help but recognize God's obvious and particular love for His Bride. That is the Gospel. Not that God loved me so much that He sent His son, but rather that God so adored US, the filthy harlot outmatched only by God's power and effectualness in redeeming her.

And now, a song of true redemption...

The God of Abraham praise, Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav’n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred Name forever blessed.

The God of Abraham praise, at Whose supreme command
From earth I rise—and seek the joys at His right hand;
I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power;
And Him my only Portion make, my Shield and Tower.

The God of Abraham praise, Whose all sufficient grace
Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.
He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God!
And He shall save me to the end, thro’ Jesus’ blood.

He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend,
I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav’n ascend.
I shall behold Hiss face; I shall His power adore,
And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore.

Tho’ nature’s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand,
To Canaan’s bounds I urge my way, at His command.
The wat’ry deep I pass, with Jesus in my view;
And thro’ the howling wilderness my way pursue.

The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty bless’d;
A land of sacred liberty, and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,
And trees of life forever grow with mercy crown’d.

There dwells the Lord our King, the Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of peace;
On Zion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains,
And glorious with His saints in light forever reigns.

He keeps His own secure, He guards them by His side,
Arrays in garments, white and pure, His spotless bride:
With streams of sacred bliss, with groves of living joys—
With all the fruits of Paradise, He still supplies.

Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand;
And tell the wonders He hath done, through all their land:
The list’ning spheres attend, and swell the growing fame;
And sing, in songs which never end, the wond’rous Name.

The God Who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
And “Holy, holy, holy!” cry, “Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:
Jehovah—Father—great I AM, we worship Thee!”

Before the Savior’s face the ransom’d nations bow;
O’erwhelm’d at His almighty grace, forever new:
He shows His prints of love—they kindle to a flame!
And sound thro’ all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb.

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
“Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” they ever cry.
Hail, Abraham’s God, and mine! (I join the heav’nly lays,)
All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.

[Luke]

Originally Posted by mustbenothing

If you can't have inside jokes on a blog, what can you have?

That's just absolutely gross though. I mean, keep it clean, c'mon...

Grace & Peace
Luke

[Somnambulist]

This week's football predictions:
The home teams will dominate; no major upsets. Oh yeah, Arkansas will win the SEC.

Texas vs. Arkansas:

Texas: 48
Arkansas: 23

Chance Mock(QB): 13/21 passing, 234 yards, 2 td
Vincent Young(QB): 6/11 passing, 143 yards, 1 td, 7-75 rushing, 2 td
Roy Williams(WR): 6-146 yards, 2 td
BJ Johnson(WR): 4-97 yards
Sloan Thomas(WR): 2-74 yards, 1 td
Cedric Benson(RB): 23-106 yards, 2 td
Derrick Johnson(OLB): 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 tfl
Rodrique Wright(DT): 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks

NCState @ Ohio State (by 12)

Iowa (by 24) @ Iowa State

Fresno State @ Oklahoma (by 47)

Washington State @ Colorado (by 3)

Kentucky @ Alabama (by 17)

Georgia Tech @ Florida State (by 24)

Penn State @ Nebraska (by 10)

Notre Dame @ Michigan (by 27)

[Chrysostom]

We're going to miss a PAT? Or, are we going to fail a 2-pt conversion attempt?

[Luke]

Originally Posted by mustbenothing

We're going to miss a PAT? Or, are we going to fail a 2-pt conversion attempt?

More likely two field goals.

Grace & Peace
Luke