The Chronicles of Blake – Volume C
(VOLUME ONE HUNDRED (100))

My Dear Newsletterinarians,

This is a letter to you.

All good things must come to an end, and the Newsletter is no exception. Here I reach the wonderful VOLUME 100, the FINAL Newsletter! I have enjoyed writing this for 4 whole years, and enjoyed every… well, nevermind. I have really enjoyed my years here and have DEFINITELY enjoyed writing the Newsletter! Once upon a time, on the 29th day of August, 2004, I wrote the following email to my parents and a few friends back home:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake's Not-So-Consistant Newsletter (Vol. 1)
Well, I'm here!
We had some problems getting here (alternator in camper went out, but God got us through it), but Troy and I got here safe.
As you have probably figured out, my e-mail address is bmeye656@students.bju.edu
This is my mailing address:
Blake Meyer
P.O. Box 40135
1700 Wade Hampton Blvd.
Greenville, SC 29614
My Phone # is:
864-271-5000 ext. 7842
Everything is rolling out great! Troy and I got dorm rooms (excuse me "residence halls") right next to each other in Johnson, which is the dorm we wanted. Then, I got an awesom roomate. His name is Micah Smith, and he's a junior (I have yet to meet my other roomate). We've already talked a lot, and right now I'm eating pizza with him and his friend. Yeah, this college stuff is really tough.
I am already unpacked and I have my schedule all figured out. It is packed, and don't have much free time. I have to meet with my advisor tomorrow and register on Tuesday. I also have two meetings tomorrow, take a tour of the stage, and talk with my work supervisor. Stage Crew sounds like a lot of fun, and I will get to learn the Stage and Auditorium inside and out. The stage crew is even having a party on Wednesday.
Micah has already been a great spiritual help. I was telling him how hard it was to leave Kaylee, and he told me that we need to sometime leave our comfort zones, such as family, in order for God to work in our lives.
I'm starting to get the hang of things, though.
Well, I need to get going. I'll try to send another one of these out later.
-Blake
prayer requests:
-I won't get overwhelmed by my tight schedule
-I can still fit in time for work
-finances
---------------------------------------------------------------------

My, what a geeky, clueless Freshman I was! Well, now I am a geeky, clueless Senior just about to graduate!!! I get kind of annoyed and skeptical when grown-ups (which I am not one of them) say that time flies by so very quickly. But now I am getting old enough to see that it is really true. It seriously seems like just a few weeks ago that I was standing outside under the oak tree outside the entrance to Johnson at 10:00. I was crying as my family left, including 2-year-old Kaylee waving goodbye to me over Mom’s shoulder saying, “Blake, come with us. We’re going home.”

And that is what I spoke of in this first Newsletter, released just DAYS after school started. That was what Micah was comforting me about. I’m not quite sure what prompted me to write the Newsletter, but I did so to keep better in touch with my family and friends back home, since we didn’t have facebook (wait… we still don’t) and certainly not cell phones yet. It seemed like such a good idea, that I kept doing it, until it became the Pinnacle of Journalistic Excellence you see before your eyes today.

The Newsletter has not only changed my life in a good way, it was actually a pretty important strange habit of mine. Erika can explain:
“Well everyone, Blake asked me to write a reflection about how the newsletter has been instrumental in my life. Well, when I was still in high school there was a big ice storm which caused some people to be stuck on campus because it was too dangerous to go home. And, my sister Ashley e-mailed my family Blake's newsletter because he had good pictures of the damage the ice did. He also had a picture of him in the corner of his room wrapped in his Coke blanket eating oreo cookies. So, then I came to school as a freshman. One day in the Dining Common he passed by Ashley and me, and she said, "You should meet Blake. He likes penguins." And then later she sent me his newsletter. And as I read through I thought, "Wow! This guy sounds really fun." Then I got towards the end and he had a devotional thought, and I thought, "Oh, a fun and godly guy!" And, he had a really cute picture of him and Kaylee and I thought, "He's really cute too!" So, for a few more editions Ashley continued to send his newsletter. And, then I gained the courage to write and ask to be put on the newsletter list. I faithfully awaited the new editions and read through them very eagerly. Each newsletter I read taught me more about him, and the more I read, the more I liked him. So, by reading his newsletter I learned lots about Blake, and by the time I started doing things with him and Nikki I felt like I already knew him. I slowly began being cited in the newsletter, and, well, you know the rest.” -Erika

So… if you happen to be a single guy reading this, take note. The good girls out there are looking for a guy who can Newsletter. It is neat to think back to how the Newsletter has evolved. It used to be “The Not-So-Consistent Newsletter” until it became consistent. Then it became “The Chronicles of Blake” (long before the Narnia movie came out). Then it became not as consistent anymore, but kept the second name. It has gone from half-page to 5-page documents. The first picture was included in the October 23, 2004 volume with a picture of Troy and me holding up a sphere at the Coke headquarters in Atlanta. From that point on, I included pictures (which has been more popular with people than the text :) Later, it got its own website at bjunewsletter.com with Tim Joiner sponsoring it. It has gone through many different themes, like No Backspaces, Early Edition, Our Hood, Pirate Editions, and the ever-popular Lord of the Tie series. It has definitely become a fun, growing, and important part of my college life. I’m very glad I took the hundreds of hours doing it. These books will be a keepsake that I can read again and reminisce about my undergrad years, and even maybe hand down to children and grandchildren who will wonder how in the world I was ever so psycho. Well… I’m sure that if I haven’t grown up yet, I may never grow up.

Now a quick break for a NEWSFLASH of recent events:
-I went to artist series with a very beautiful girl. The play (Henry V (pronounce “V” as “the Fifth”)) was amazing and very well done. But even as good as the play was, it was only secondary to... nevermind. I’m sure you know what I was about to say. :)
-I was able to get off and go play in the park with Tim and Ashley and Erika the other day. We played lots of fun Frisbee and had a picnic dinner of KFC.
-The Commencement Concert was PHENOMINAL! I loved it. Among the best were symphonies based on Tom Sawyer, Lord of the Rings, and The Wind in the Willows. But even as good as the concert was, it was only secondary to... nevermind. I’m sure you know what I was about to say… again :)
-On Friday night, the night before graduation (in which I stayed up really really late), I had to finish my Wilds project at stage. While I was there, the Props Crew threw a party for me. We went up to the top of Rodeheaver and looked at all the beautiful sights of campus and Greenville from above. While up there, Mr. Vierow gave me wise counsel as parting words to Read my Bible and pray that God’s desires would become my desires. Then we had a small testimony time. After awhile we went down again where I signed my name on the ladder of graduating seniors. Then all the Stage Crew had food and pop. WHILE I WAS EATING MY FOOD PEACEFULLY, they surrounded me and GRABBED ME!!! They carried me out front of campus and THREW ME IN THE Triple-G FOUNTAIN! Seriously! They all ran away after I splashed them. But then I had to finish my Wilds project soaking wet. But hey, how many people can say that they swam in the Triple-G fountain?

Ahhh… there were definitely difficult times here, but there are many many good times that came. The highlights include many of my wonderful roommates (Rick, Micah, Woody, D.J… who can forget them?), Gold Rush, My Fort, Working Backstage for Artist Series, Painting the Peter Pan, O Henry Christmas, and Wait Until Dark Floors, My Many Friends, My Great Teachers ( Jaeggli, Olinger, Reimers, McGonigal, Miller, Bopp, Roberts, etc. etc.), Chapping for Rich and Laurie, Doing Comics for the Collegian, Alpha Winning 2 Turkey Bowls, Developing my God-given Artistic Skills, Being an Alpha Officer for 3 Semesters, and definitely Dating Erika… and also definitely Writing Newsletters!
I have grown so much in my relationship with God too! I came to school majoring in Youth Ministries, knowing I wanted to have fun ministering with youth, but I was not that serious or committed about it. My, how that has grown! Now, I can’t ever imagine myself NOT working with youth somehow. Ever since I worked full time at church as the intern, I realized how much of a passion I had developed for coming alongside and helping others grow. Then last summer I worked at the Wilds. Instead of always finding myself a better person, I am finding the contrary. As I learn more about the holiness of God, the more un-holy I am finding myself. That is why I need to wholly trust in Him… because He is holy, He has it figured out, and I don’t. One MAJOR lesson I learned in college is the absolute need and security of trusting wholly on God. His plan will be accomplished.

FINAL PICTURES!!! (even with a bonus)


1) This was taken in Charleston… in a graveyard. But the tree looked so nice and happy, so I got my picture taken by it.


2) Yes, it was a while ago, but this is Erika and me picnicking at Bible Conference. I just thought it was a really cute picture of us, as many are.


3) One final Kaylee picture. And it’s just cute, and I have little to do with that part.


4) So after Artist Series, Erika and I got into a little fight. A duel, rather. I was clearly the underdog. This makes a good final picture of the two of us.


5) The final picture. A more serious, contemplative, yet fun picture of me on the beach going off into the sunset, saying goodbye to the Newsletter.

Does this mean Blake falls off the face of the earth? No, it does not. I will still be here. I will still be using my new email address (bmeye656@gmail.com). I will still be updating my website with pictures, etc. The discontinuing of the Newsletter only means that I will no longer be sending out the Newsletter email to this select group of names. But please do keep in contact. I am looking forward to what will happen next.

Can you believe that I have been in school for 17 years in a row? I think it’s time for a break. It’s going to be different. I’ll definitely need to trust in God to lead me.

One more time for cheesiness sake:
Happy Traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaails to you…
Until… we meet… again!
Happy Traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaails to you…
Keep smilin’ until then!
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
So sing a song and bring the stormy weather!
Happy Traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaails to you…
Until we meet… again!

Thank You for the opportunity to write these 100 Newsletters!

-Blake, The Newsletterer

This time I really do mean it when I write…

THE END