Friends: What do they mean to YOU

This summer at home has been one of the easier summers since I began college. I have really enjoyed spending time with the few friends I still have in Long Valley. Even some friends from college have made the trek up from all parts of Virginia to hang out up in the beautiful New Jersey (Jenna, AT, MM and JR). It was certainly fun to show them where I live and where I am from, so maybe they can start to understand why I talk the way I do have the sarcasm that I have. But it was nothing short of awesome for each of their trips up here.

However as I sit at home most days...bored, I begin to really miss school. Yeah, I would even start classes tomorrow if I could move back to Newport News tonight! But one of the things I have missed most about being at home is the constant people, fun and chaos that goes on in my residence in Newport News. My front door in Long Valley hardly ever opens, where my front door at school is what I would like to call a revolving door.

For those of you that have ever spent time at 320 Prince Drew, you will know that there is hardly a dull moment in that house. At all hours of the night there is always something going on. Living with 8 awesome guys + the one commuter that spends 6 out of 7 nights a week on our couch has certainly made my college experience. We are all VERY different. We cover a span of about 6 different majors so we rarely ever have a class with one another. We each have different sleep schedules...For example, Jared (love you buddy) is usually in bed between 11 and 12 and up at 630 or 7. Where Jeremy (love you bro) stays up into the wee hours of the night, but knows not to schedule any classes in the morning because you wont really see him before 11am. We all also have different friends that we hang out with outside our house. Yes, our groups of friends do tend to overlap, but for the most part, we all basically do our own thing.

But the coolest part of that house is the one thing we do have in common... We all love the Lord.. And thats what brings us together and why we are all close. It's a bond between brothers that will not be broken, and I honestly feel that these guys are some of my best friends. I have a different relationship with each of them, but we are all still close. The time we spend together each Sunday as a house is usually one of my favorite parts of my week. I have 8 guys that truly care about me and my well being. They want to see me succeed and are there to help when I fail. There is nothing better than that.

I miss living at school with those dudes. I can not wait to get back to the fun and chaos, and be able to live with those guys again. It's something that I tend to take for granted until its not there. I know that once I graduate, I probably wont ever live with 8 other people again so this year, my final year, I am going to take full advantage of it.

Appalling Article

So, I am taking a class over the internet this summer.. Its called "Critical Theory and the Study of Popular Culture." Its a pretty sweet class, because I get to read a lot about what is going on in media and also get to use my twitter account a lot! I am very excited about the class and well up until today, i loved it. Today, we were assigned an Article Review on an article that was focused on "soft porn" and more specifically, Girls Gone Wild. Now, i understand that it is part of the media culture, but i was deeply saddened while reading about all of this.

The fact that the porn industry is a multiBILLION dollar industry is sickening. What does that say about our culture? That we are okay with, and actually find it entertaining that people would sell themselves for money? Personally, and maybe you disagree, it is upsetting to see our world do this. It is degrading to both sexes and appalling. The fact that a form of prostitution (selling of yourself for money) is even promoted is too much for me to handle. If you can't already tell, i was/am quite fired up about this, so if this is making no sense, i'm sorry.

Anyways, I really needed to vent this and my challenge today is lets be the generation to make a change. Is the porn industry really the industry we want driving the economy?

The Comforts of Home

What is the one thing EVERY college kids looks forward to when they go home... of course, a home cooked meal. Well let me tell you, Regatta's and The Commons (or Harbor if thats what you call it) certainly did not cut it for the third year in a row, and thus my desire to eat my mom's cooking was just that much stronger. After leaving for the second semester on January 10th and returning home for the first time on May 1st, i think its safe to say that i really did need some good food.

But what is interesting to me is that eating the pork kabobs (i think that is the proper spelling) was not my favorite part of being home thus far. As Meaghan (sister), Dad, Mom and I sat around the patio table last night, the best part of the whole dinner was all of the laughs. I know I am not really that funny of a guy, sometimes when I try to be funny, I look like a dope. But I humbly admit, i do have some good one liners sometimes. For three hours, we sat around that table just talking about everything under the sun. From past memories of moving into the house (17 years ago), to what our summers are going to look like, to my Dad and i debating "Obama Care." hahaa, that was pretty funny.

Driving back into Long Valley with my windows down, i knew i was home when i smelt the wonderful aroma of farms. (Yes, i do like in NJ and there are farms... It is not a dump like you Virginians think it is) As not so pleasant as that smell sounds, it was a comforting and familiar smell of home. But let me tell you, trying to fall asleep to these crickets is gonna have to get some getting used to. Because i no longer here sirens blaring or the smacking of jack hammers down Warwick Bvld, Home is much more peaceful than that.

I am looking forward to the relaxation aspect of being home. I know it is always stressful when each of us want to be independent but then our parents want us to be where ever they are.. Thus creating tension. But as college students, really try to love your family when you are home. I do fully understand that we are all now individuals that have established our own lives (i have been in college for 3 years, i know) but spend some great, quality time with your family. You never know when you are going to look back and wish that you had spent more time with them. Embrace the time you have at home, but i will sure miss all of you CNUer's this summer.

Have an awesome summer friends.

Coffee!

Its absolutely amazing what a cup of coffee can do to a person. After many years of denying the fact that i have an issue with drinking coffee, i am not okay with saying that i am an addict. There are not too many days (almost never) where i can go throughout the day without having a cup. There is just something about it that just always makes me want it. hahahaaa

But honestly, we all know that Einstein's coffee (Starbucks) really is not that good. It usually tastes burnt and never really satisfies that craving. However, now that Dunkin' is soooooo close by, I find myself fulfilling my cravings over there.

For the past couple months, i have been saving EVERY penny i get as change to eventually bring it to a change machine and get cash for it. But recently, i have found better uses for that change... DUNKIN"!!!! I believe it is rather sad that after three weeks of it being open, there were two of the regular employees that knew my order even before i spoke. I am slightly embarrassed by that, but it is awesome, and also speeds things up. But now, i realize i have spent almost all my change on coffee at dunkin... so i think its time to SLOW DOWN.

(To all of you that actually read this, if you would like to make me happy during the day... just surprise me with a Large Hazelnut with Cream and Sugar)

Despite all of this talk about loving coffee, i was convicted about something this morning. In my debate and argumentation class, there was a debate today about the United States need to substantially reform the welfare plan. As these two groups were debating, i realized that there is one small thing us Americans can do to help. Yes, we all know we are in a recession and things are tight. However if things are tight for us, how do you think things are for the people on welfare, or that are homeless???

So my conviction made me think that i can do better things with all my change than fulfill my coffee addiction. Maybe it's time to cash that change in, buy some caned food, and bring it to people that want to fulfill their hunger.. I am feeling better about this the more i write about it. And i really want to do this, but it is really gonna suck giving up that coffee...

Challenge: If my coffee addiction can be filled in by you with something you are "addicted" to.. let it be music, shoes, clothes or what ever, give this a thought. $10 of change can buy 8 cans of Campbell's soup.. Just think about it.

Just figured out the password to this!

Well, it has been quite some time since you've heard from me. I forgot the password and which e-mail account i used to sign into this. But with some thought, i figured it out.

Meaghan (my sister) has been bothering me to start blogging again. Life has been CRAZY over the past few months. I can not believe there are less than 2 weeks of classes left and then I am a SENIOR IN COLLEGE! (but i am really not too excited about this) If it wasn't for my parents threats to not pay for more that 4 years of college, i would be finding ways to stay another year or to. Maybe pick up a second or third major.

So lets skip over the past few months and skip right to today. Today was awesome because of many things. But mainly because a very good friend of mine who happens to be the best wedding photographer i have ever seen (somewhat bias because i do not really know any) posted a MAN MONDAY on her blog today. A few friends, along with myself, check her blog daily and as she put it, we were jealous of not having any "man" photos on the blog. So after weeks of begging and pleading, she finally gave in. This was the highlight of my day, not just because i was on it, but because it was an awesome post. Check it out www.theinspireddesignblog.com

Thats really all i got for today, maybe i can get my creative thoughts flowing and leave you with some good stuff at some point in the near future.

Here's a challenge for you for the week: Step out of your comfort zone and serve someone this week. Whether it be something big or small, do something to help someone out. The little things sometimes mean the most

Today's thoughts...

After reading some of my friends and family's blogs, i have decided that maybe i would give this "blogging" a shot.

I am not sure whether it was the day I had today or what, but i spent the majority of today thinking about my future. What is life going to look like after college? The scary thing is at some point, i actually have to grow up. And to be honest, i really don't want to grow up yet.

I have been blessed with two loving and caring parents could not have raised me any better and an older sister who although we tend to butt heads often, loves me unconditionally. My parents are two very successful professionals who have worked hard their entire adult lives to better my life and the lives of others. Both have servant hearts and have always gone out of their ways to help others. Meaghan (my sister), a recent graduate of JMU, has continued the generations of educators in the McElroy family and has her first teaching job at the middle school she and I both attended. Interesting to think of it this way but Meaghan, similar to my parents, is helping others by means of education.

So now to me... what do i do? Well, obviously it is in my blood to serve. At this current moment, i have absolutely no idea what my "service" will look like, but i know that is what i am supposed to do. I want to be able to make a lasting difference in peoples lives, i want to make others lives better. But how???

For those of you that feel similar to me in that you do not know what life is to look in the future, i have come to just this conclusion: I am to LOVE God, my family, friends and everyone i come in contact with. Treat everyone with the same respect that you would like them to treat you with. And each day, challenge yourself to make a difference in someone's life, whether it be big or small, show someone the love they deserve.

-B