"To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

There is no competition today. This quote is too good to go unguessed, though I'm quite sure not many would get it unless you use illegal means such as google. This quote comes from a newer movie that Holly and I just recently saw courtesy of Netflix.

The quote comes from the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, spoken by Coriakin, a wizard who helps guide the protagonists on the voyage to conquer the evil in the world. I very much enjoyed the movie. C. S. Lewis was known for his Christian symbols, and this chapter in the saga is rife with them. Another quote I really liked and must share comes from an interchange between Lucy and Aslan as the children are preparing again the leave Narnia. Again remember that Aslan represents Jesus Christ:

Lucy: "Aslan, will we ever meet with you in our world?"
Aslan: "You shall."
Lucy: "How?"
Aslan: "Because there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

It really is nice to have movies like these. And indeed, that is one of our most important purposes in life is to get to know Him better.

This post is to further update everyone from my long absence. I finished my first year of medical school in May and have now started a research fellowship that will run all summer. I will do experiments on mice to try and make their eye infections less severe. It's a 9-5 gig; I'm paid, and I don't have any obligations in the evening. The stress is lower than it is during which is nice.

We have had several tornadoes and thunderstorms of which you've probably heard on the news. Despite all the nasty weather, our little garden has started to really take off (see picture). Our tomatoes are growing really quickly. The only setback has been the squirrels which we were trapping and releasing into a nearby park (see video of squirrel running at light speed away from me when I released him into the park). Even with the trap, a lot of our seeds have been eaten, so we will have to wait to see if all our vegetables come up.

I also was able to fly with my parents to North Carolina to surprise my brother before he is deployed with the Army. My parents and I helped pack boxes to put into storage and very much enjoyed our time with them.


I would like to say how proud I am of him. He is a wonderful example and truly selfless. I am grateful for his dedication to our nation and our government. I pray that he will be protected while he is away and I appreciate all prayers in his and his wonderful wife's behalf.

This weekend Holly and I had planned to go camping and were both very excited; however, once again St. Louis weather got in the way, and we decided not to go. I was still determined to go fishing which we planned to do while camping, so I dragged Holly up at 5:00 AM, and we drove to a wildlife conservation area about 45 minutes away. This was my first chance to use my fishing gear from Christmas, but I was met with not so great luck. We got lost a couple times on the way, and I don't really feel I had the right bait. Long story short, there is no fish story. I could go on and on about "the one that got away," but I would be "fishing" for sympathy only. I will try again... mark my words. In any case, the area was beautiful and green and calm and quiet. That was wonderful.


That night, we went out to eat and then walked around a local park. It truly is springtime, and this place is greener than green. Amazing. My wife is pretty cute too.