Almost over, baby!

Yo, yo, yo! I haven't written this early in quite a while. Y'all are getting a treat! :)
Anyway, STAP is going fine. It is incredibly easy...All I do is read books (which I already like to do) and write on it. Lately we've been going through poetry, though, and I don't like that at all. I just don't get why all poems have to be analyzed and have to have some "deep and hidden" meaning! Why can't I just enjoy them for what they say!?! Whatever, I'll keep analyzing and explicating...if I have to... STAP is done in 8 days! I can't wait. I'll go home for about 5 days and then head off to CFT (Cadet Field Training) for four weeks. I am so ready for that. We get M4s this year, plus we have all new equipment. This is gonna be amazing (especially since that is the main reason I came to West Point - to be in the military).
I've been working out A LOT lately...about 3 hours a day... I'm trying to get ready for Buckner (CFT). I've changed to more strength training, not so much on power (meaning lots more reps with lower weight). I've been trying to trim down and get the beach body (especially since I plan on going to the beach on the 13th with a bunch of friends). The working out part isn't the problem, its more of the eating, especially since I just put away 16 oreos in about 5 minutes...a total weakness. Oh well, my method of working out is...the more I eat, the more I work out. Not eating less. Anyway, I'm loving all the time to lift, but I'm gonna have to find some alternative come academic year...Probably CrossFit, an extremely high intensity, short workout...
This past Sunday I got up and listened to Mark Driscoll online. He was talking on Proverbs and the fear of God. I've really been struggling with my quite time lately, but after this message, I know what I want to do. I plan on starting a study of Proverbs, one that Mark Driscoll prescribed. Basically, it entails making categories and placing every verse that applies to one of those categories in it. He said that Proverbs is all practical advice, so if I have a quick reference, I can look up some practical advice to give either myself or someone else about whatever subject area they need. I thought it was a pretty sweet idea...
I really enjoy his teaching...a lot more than any church hear on post. That is when I got a brilliant idea, rather I believe that God was putting this idea into my head. I'm starting to pray about (and I ask if you would as well) starting a church here. When do I have time for this? I don't, but I'm thinking of making it quite simple. I just want to get a group of guys (maybe girls, but probably not) together (with food, or course) and listen to Mark Driscoll (probably, but maybe a few other pastors), and then spend some time discussing what he talks about. We could also go over what we're learning in our quiet time, have a prayer time, etc. Basically make it a really informal small group, kinda like the way the New Testament churches worked, (with the exception of internet and pizza). I'm really set on doing this for a few reasons. It seems as though every time I go to one of the chruches here, all I do, as well as everyone else, is go, sit, listen, and leave. There's no fellowship with other Christians (which I thought that is what Church was about), there's no challenging other than the preacher's message (if it actually is this week)...I think it'd be awesome to get a group of guys, definitely not closed, but incredibly open, but also entirely direct in the presentation of Truth. Holding eachother totally Accountable, challenging eachother, praying, and getting closer. I don't see that happening in any church here. It kinda happens at our Bible study, and the only place it really happens is at our small group on Tuesdays which consists of me and one other guy. Plus, I think I can get a few more guys to come to this than to get some to put on a uniform and trek to one of the churches on post...a totally informal but incredibly demanding (basically sacrificing your life) time. If anybody has any thoughts on this, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm open to any ideas or criticisms...Most of all, please pray for this...I believe this will really help me in my spiritual growth as well. God has definitely given me a heart for planting churches (hopefully later in life), and this may be my "sorta" attempt at it where I am right now...
I almost died on Tuesday. I love rock climbing, and I plan on trying out for the team next year. My buddies and I decided to go bouldering for a while. For those who don't know what this is, you basically climb small heights with no ropes or anything holding you in. We went to the Point, some cliffs by the Hudson on a trail. My one friend and I nailed a few different routes, none too hard, but definitely a challenge. We were only climbing about 20 -25 ft high. We started looking for some different courses, and we walked on this ledge with the cliff on one side and a very steep, rocky hill on the other. I found this amazing route. I got right to it. I looked up and saw the top only about 15 ft above the ledge, so it wouldn't be a problem, but I had to make it to the top, because if I had to drop down after about 5 feet, I probably would miss the ledge and go tumbling down the hill. After a while of slowly inching my way up the rock face, I made it to 15 ft, the top, or so I thought. As I looked over the lip, I realized that wasn't the end, there were about 10-15 more feet (it was slightly slanted inward, which is why i couldn't see it, and why it made it very difficult to get over the lip...). I had no choice to press forward, but from the start I saw that there were not that many holds. I made it over the lip, and I was about 5 feet from the top (20-25 ft from the ledge). My right foot was solid, my left foot was stable at the time, but I had absolutely NO handholds. I could not move forward! There was one hold in the rock six inches out of reach, but if I attempted to leap for it, I would lose my footing and fall, so I immediately put that option out of my mind. I started to freak out a little bit, my heart was racing, and my two friends were standing below me trying to help me (how, I don't know) the best they could. One of my friends took a trail to the top, to see if he could guide me from there...but it was all to no avail. I tried to move my left foot up, but I failed and I then had all of my weight on my right toes and a little lip that my finger tips barely fit onto. I then really started getting scared. I yelled at my friend on the bottom to run to to the top to help me out...I didn't know how, but he did. All I could think was, "Man, if I fall, its gonna be a long way down, its gonna hurt, and I'm gonna get seriously injured..." If I fell, I would have grinded down the entire rock wall with my shirtless body, maybe hit the ledge, and then continue down the extremely steep, rocky hill. I was not looking forward to that... Right as I told my second friend to run to the top, I attempted to make another move, and I lost my solid right foot and I couldn't find it again (it was just under the lip, and I couldn't see). At this point, All 180 pounds of me (yes, I weight that much) was hanging from my fingertips, but not for long. I now yelled at my friend to book it up that trail... Thankfully, the first dude up grabbed a huge stick on the trail for some wierd reason. When they were both up there, they lowered the stick down to me (almost knocked my hands off the hold, too). I took a breath, and, praying that the stick would not break, I let go of the ledge and grabbed the stick. It didn't break, thankfully, and I shimmied up as quick as I could. My friends grabbed me and I collapsed on top terrified. I got kinda upset because I didn't finish it, but I was glad to be on top... I can definitely say that was the scariest moment of my life to this date (the day my sister was born is a close second). My friends most definitely saved me from serious injury (if not my life). But, my buddy had the audacity to say, hey, i know some more rocks we can climb. I told him there was no way I was climbing any more today... Lesson learned...use a rope instead of a stick, its lighter and it won't break as easy...
Well, I've just got my two classes tomorrow morning and then I'm headed off to THE WEEKEND!!! I'm gonna head to bed now...Peace.