Super Slack

So, I have not started updating this any more. Sorry.

Anyway, my band Polar War is playing our first show October 4th at New Brookland Tavern.
You should come. Check us out, and let us know what you think. Hopefully it won't be too terrible.

End Post.

Summertime, Summertime...

...it's all over now. School starts back up on Tuesday (it is currently early Sunday morning), and my life is (hopefully) going to slow back down a bit. As awesome as the experiences I had this summer were, it will be nice to see some friends again - while I'm still fairly awake! I apologize to the one or two people who may in fact read my blog (thanks Mom and Dad!) that it has been so long since the last update, but when you're working 70 hours a week, some things can fall by the wayside.

Anyway. The last month was crazy. I ended my internship with Elevation Church and then left immediately to go to New York with the family. Good times were had by all (I think). Since then, it's been Chick-fil-A and getting ready for school, which I'm looking forward to for some odd reason.

Boom. My month in very few words. Hopefully I'll get back into the habit of updating more often, with some more interesting stuff. But for now, I'll leave you with this. Enjoy.

Halfway Through the Summer

OK, it's the first week of July, and I realized that I haven't written anything on here since April...so, here goes.

This summer has been crazy, and awesome. I am working as the graphic design intern at Elevation Church, and I am having a great time with that. It has been so much fun to get back into the habit of designing and stretching my creativity every day. I had some trouble in the beginning just since it had been so long, but I feel like my concepts and designs are getting a little better each day, so that's good.

I'm also working at Chick-fil-A - just about every night. This means I've been working 60 to 70 hours a week for the past 5 weeks, with a couple more left to go. Overall though, it hasn't been a bad summer. I miss seeing all my friends and family since I really don't have much time to just hang out or anything, but I think it'll be worth it in the end. I'll have some great experience, plus some money in my account by the time school starts...hopefully!

Oh, and I was spending time with a couple friends on the 4th, and someone showed us some videos on YouTube. Go check out Autotune the News if you get a chance. They're hilarious.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I'm ready for the semester to end. Right now.

Procratinating yet again...

I have a paper due Monday, and two more due on Tuesday, so you would think I would be a little more motivated to do my work than I currently am. I mean, it is just hanging over my head right now, stressing me out, so why don't I want to do it?

I feel like this a lot in my walk with God. I neglect prayer for a while, or skip my quiet time for a day or two, and things pile up and eventually I can't remember the last time I really spent time digging into my Bible for real spiritual food. This only worsens my downward spiraling relationship with God, which then serves to discourage me from starting back up again. I wait until my confidence in my faith is circling the drain, before I cry out for forgiveness. This definitely seems like a pretty messed up relationship, and one that I would not enjoy this if the roles were reversed.

So, there's a little look into my current thoughts and whatnot. So, does anyone know a cure for procrastination? 'Cause I could certainly use one about now...

So, this past week was not as relaxing as I thought it would be. But I definitely enjoyed being at home. It was a great break from the daily grind of school. I already have spring fever pretty bad, and I don't think it will improve any between now and the end of the semester. We'll see how it goes.

My friend George just showed me an incredible climbing video.



This guy is ridiculous.

Spring Break!

I'm looking forward to a week of no classes.

Hopefully everyone else has as awesome of a week as I'm expecting.

Sweet!

This movie looks incredible!

Check, Ch-Ch-Ch-Check It Out

I am finally pretty much done for this week as far as classes go. I mean, I actually have three tomorrow, but there's nothing due, and looking at the syllabi, it should be an overall easy day. Then BCM, then I'm heading home, for the first time this semester. Last weekend was a rough one with papers and studying for tests earlier this week, so I'm ready to go home and relax.

I also found a great resource for when I'm feeling a little down (this weekend it was from writing so much). Craigslist Rants and Raves. They're incredibly hilarious. And a pretty effective self-confidence boost. A lot of those people can't form complete thoughts, much less clear, understandable sentences. It really makes me feel better about myself, especially since I usually think I'm a bad writer.

And here's just a pretty sweet video I found on YouTube. Check it out and be glad it isn't you.

Where to?

It is hard when things start to change. I'm open to advice on this one, if any of the 1 or 2 people who read this have an opinion.

God asked me to commit to a ministry, so I did, and I did so whole-heartedly (sp?). But I no longer feel like it is what I'm supposed to be doing in the future. I'm having trouble discerning whether it is my own personal preferences or if God is telling me that I've played my part in this particular place. I also have to keep in mind that I committed for the duration of the school year. It has really been bothering me over the past few days, and I don't seem to be moving any closer to a resolution. So any advice or feedback would be awesome. Or prayer. That's pretty important too.

So, the new semester is in full swing, and it seems like it will be better than last semester (which is good). Classes are not too bad (so far) and it is nice to be back with my friends. In other news, my band, Sleep Set (www.myspace.com/sleepset), is going into the studio over the next week, week and a half, to record a five song demo/EP type deal. It should be fun, and I can't wait for people to start hearing what we've been playing. So that's pretty cool.

Ok, now that the recap's over, on to my recent thoughts.

Last night at the RUF Super Bowl party, I was sitting near some people that went to high school and/or church with me. We started talking about high school in general, and then we moved on to youth groups at our churches and how the churches were doing now. Looking back on my years in youth group now, I realized that youth group had a lot to do with the person I am right now. Our youth group was basically a revolving door for youth pastors and interim pastors and no leaders, which made us really self-reliant. We pretty much ran everything and had nobody pouring back into us. (Now, that's not to say that we didn't have Sunday School teachers and people supervising us on Wednesdays or speakers or anything. And there were a couple people that did everything they could and probably more than they should for us, but they had "real" jobs and couldn't devote time or energy overall. And I am more than grateful to those who were there for us.) After having this conversation and hearing about what had happened at my friend's church, I realized how much negative influence those years have had on my life.

I was so burnt out after high school, that I have never since been able to fully give myself to anything.

Our numbers in youth group fell so much that I am terrified of being the person in a leadership position.

Not having an adult to lean on has made me untrusting of the people in charge of the different things that I'm involved with.

All these things kinda became clear after talking with my friends last night. And I'm not trying to make excuses or explain away my actions or saying that those are the sole causes of my behavior - I just want to be held accountable for trying to change those things about me. I don't want to live the rest of my life with all of that hanging over my head. So, please, tell me step out and trust God. Call me out if I try to do something halfway. Help me be the man God wants me to be.

One other thing I learned from youth group is that friends will always be there for you. So I thank God for my friends. For the real, deep, lasting relationships that I have been given. For the people who know who I am and hang out with me anyway. Thank you.