My life, now.

Things have been pretty busy since school started again. I'm a senior now. And being a senior is just like being a junior, which was just like being a sophomore, which was only a little different than being a freshman.

For the most part, I'm really enjoying my classes. I like and get along with all of my teachers, which has never happened before.

This is my daily schedule (because you're interested):

Pre-School
6:30- Wake up, eat breakfast
7:00- Swim laps, take shower, get dressed, etc
8:45- Go to school
School
1st Period- Reading Books for Pleasure (Seriously, it's a class)
2nd Period- Economics Honors (Matthews is one of the best teachers I've ever had, awesome class)
3rd Period- Creative Writing (My favorite class of the day)
Lunch
4th Period- AP Literature (Challenging and interesting)
5th Period- Tennis (I love having a workout break in the middle of the day)
6th Period- Marine Science (I played with a shrimp today)
7th Period- Algebra II (Funny teacher, frustrating class)

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have night school from 5-7, but I should only be in there for a few weeks. I've got a pretty heavy work load this year, but I enjoy most of the work. I think I've learned more in two weeks than I did for my first three years of high school.

I'm going to try to update this blog at least once a week. We'll see how that goes.

The following is an essay on Christianity I wrote for Creative Writing.

Daniel Pinney

Mr Jordan

Creative Writing, pd 3

8/25/08

I believe in living by my faith. Throughout the history of Christianity, we haven’t exactly done the best job of representing ourselves. My goal is to change the way people perceive the Christian faith. I believe I can do this, if only by a small degree.

I believe in a specific type of Christianity, and that type is best defined by explaining what it is not. I do not believe in a Christianity populated by people whose hands have spent countless hours preparing food for their friends and families, but have never handed a plate to the homeless. I don’t believe in a Christianity that expresses hate in any way. And most importantly, I don’t believe in a Christianity that mingles with, or tries to control politics.

My Christianity is different. “Do as you would be done to” is the core of my faith. This has led me to the best experiences of my life. The happiest I have ever been was in a third-world jungle country, in mud huts with native villagers. I’ve walked through the ghettoes of Atlanta giving away clothes to overjoyed children. I believe my faith has led me to make a difference in the lives of others.

I believe in a Christianity of outreach. I believe that pure and true Christianity would be a society of believers, working together to better the world around them. A society that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, takes care of the sick, visits the incarcerated, and comforts the grieving. That is what I want to see. That is what I want to have a hand in creating. My goal is perfection; my goal is unattainable. Therefore, by continually striving for it, I never stop rising to new levels.

I believe I’ll be rising for the rest of my life.