Today's forecast-Lubbock:

Cold; slight powdering of snow.


ACTUAL forecast:

Cold; 5 inches of snow and still falling.

I'm not the biggest fan of cold weather, but if it is going to come snow better accompany. Snow in Lubbock is fun because there are people here from parts of Texas that never see snow. So last night a guy was outside running around in shorts and a T-shirt screaming about how he had literally never seen snow before. I wasn't going to tell him that at that time it was only sleet that was falling, so I let him have his fun.

So I couldn't help but notice that I can hardly call myself a blogger as of late, but it isn't because I have little to say, or that I don't know how to say it, or even that I don't have the time to do it. My unfaithfulness to blogging is for no other reason than laziness. So for that I apologize...to blogger, to the once faithful readership, and to my dear mother who only reads this when someone else tells her to because i've written something that will upset her(See post on October 6th 2005 when I admit to piercing my ear...love you mom).

So, in a form that my buddy Brent uses quite skillfully, I will attempt to redeem myself.

These past four months I've been thinking...
-that I am ridiculously lucky to be plugged in with incredible followers of Christ who love me
-that I have an amazing girlfriend who knocked me off my feet back in June (I'm still recovering)
-that in July of '07 I will be moving out of the country for semester to live in Latin America
-that no matter how long I may go without talking to good friends, we pick right back up as if nothing ever changed
-that I am really ready to graduate college. Only 5 more semesters...ugh
-that God has given me an undeniable passion for Hispanic people and the Spanish language and I can't wait to see how it manifests itself in the future
-that I can't wait for Holiday break so I can catch up with old friends
And finally...
-that the 2006-2007 Red Raiders football season will be coined a "rebuilding year, whether or not any actual rebuilding occurs," as coined by the men of the square table


Thanks for bearing with me

I have a friend that I have lunch with every wednesday. I love this guy like crazy, mainly because of his honesty. He is very young in his faith, not so much by years, but definitely in terms of growth in his walk. After hanging out and talking, he was very excited when I asked if he would be interested in meeting and reading through a couple of chapters of John each week. After this lunch I always feel way more encouraged than he probably ever could. But I have to say the most enjoyable part is the way he says things you wouldn't expect a normal believer to say, or asks questions that, as simple or awkward as they may be, are so honest that they challenge me to think. He is at such a fun stage in his walk with Christ. You know what I'm talking about, where everything is exciting...and truth is so alive, knowledge tastes so good. It's so much fun!!!

oops, he just called, he's out of class so we're heading to lunch....

It is definitely October...and I'd be willing to bet that nobody checks this blog anymore.

This semester is flying by already because of my busy schedule...but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm co-leading a Bible study through the Navigators for freshmen guys. We have about 14 or so guys who are faithful in coming and it is so encouraging to see their hearts to grow in the Lord. God is doing so many awesome things that I can't even begin to cover in a blog setting, so give me a call if you want details. And now on to the girl.... Last time I blogged it was requested that I talk about "the girl". Her name is Ashley, she's from Plano and attends UNT. After growing up 20 minutes away from eachother we finally met in Missouri at Kanakuk and, for some unknown reason, she has hung around this long...trust me I'm WAY out of my league on this one.

Here It Is

To be honest, I've put off for quite some time because there is too much to write about...terrible idea I know. I returned from Kanakuk a couple of weeks ago after 2 months of hanging out with kids, driving boats, and learning a TON. Oddly enough, God put three little kids from Mexico in my cabin that didn't speak a word of English. These kids were at a camp with a bunch of rich white kids, and the fact that they were there at all showed me that God was teaching me something, but that they were all three in MY cabin....Wow. Another awesome thing about this was that Kanakuk did not know that I speak Spanish and they did not know that these kids didn't speak any English. Coincidence??? Never. I'm starting to understand this passion for the Mexican people that I have had for years and I love it.

School is about to start and I'm busy with band, but that means Texas Tech Football! 9 Days till Kick Off! Get ready.

Much more to tell, so if you still read this make sure to look for more postings.

It isn't really like me to go so long without blogging so I'll have to give a quick summary of my life this past month or so. Things are going really well. I spent two weeks in Missouri at staff training for Kanakuk and learned a lot about what it feels like to be unprepared and broken. I spent a week in Mexico leading a team in constructing a house for a family and learned a lot about what it is like to feel unprepared and broken. I leave for Missouri in ten days to be a counselor for the rest of the summer at a Christian camp and will learn a lot about what it feels like to be unprepared and broken. In all of this I have felt so blessed that God wants to use my brokenness to benefit His kingdom. I can't wait to see what God has for me the rest of the summer.

Thanks to Nathan and Steve-O for making my job in Mexico easy. I had a blast.

I think that I have studied more in the past two days than I have all other times previously in my life combined. I am more mentally and academically drained than I've ever been, but the good news is that I'm done. Exams are completed and summer is here. I'm going to sleep for three days straight and then drive home...

That's it! He's out...And you're out too...I don't even know if I'm in anymore.

Last semester I had one final per day for five days. This finals week I have one final on the first day, and then THREE BACK TO BACK on the second day, and none on the rest. I have a feeling this is going to be very stressful.

Man, I have had the worst bloggers-block recently. It seems that I have nothing to say. I'll be in the beautiful Ozark Mountains in one month from today at staff week for Kanakuk. In a month and a half I will be in Mexico building homes for God's children in Juarez. In a little over two months I will be back at Kanakuk to have the best two months of my life, thus far, being taught by a bunch of 7 to 13 years olds. I would rather not look any further into the future...it's so cool what God has orchestrated my summer to be like this year, just 9 MORE DAYS of classes and then a few tests. It's unreal.

I've been getting headaches a lot recently. I think that I need to get my eyes checked, but I would almost rather suffer through the headaches everyday than have to wear glasses. This puts me in a rough situation.


Tonight all of the Texas Tech Kanakuk staff members are meeting to have dinner and discuss our school's kamp t-shirt for the summer. This is the last thing I need, I'm already way too excited about my summer plans and this is just going to fuel my fire.

I'd have to say that I'm a huge fan of missing school. But I'd also have to say that coming back to school after missing three days sucks. I have WAY too much to do today.

Good news is only one more month of school. Last day of classes-may 4th.

The surgery went well. I had a physical therapy appointment today and was able to walk on it a little bit. As of now things look great for me to be in full swing by Mexico/Kanakuk time. I'm feeling a little drowsy....

I just flew from Lubbock to Dallas. The flying time was 46 minutes. 46 MINUTES!!! It takes 5 1/2 hours to drive the same distance. I don't ever want to make that drive again after this realization.

Yay for knee surgery tomorrow......

There are few things that mark our society today as much as our desire to be politically correct. As annoying as it can be at times I found myself thanking God for it yesterday. I'm talking with a guy who, though he doesn't believe in God, has such a hunger to know the truth, and have formed a great relationship with him. I realized yesterday that it is all because of our culture and his thought process. In his mind set of being politically correct...willing to listen and interested in my beliefs...he has had the opportunity to hear the gospel. He has had the opportunity to ask questions, to get to know about the REAL God, and God has used that to open up a great relationship between this friend and myself. I have no idea what is going to happen...but it's just so darn exciting. As much as I hate society and its made up moral system called "political correctness" I have seen that used for His glory. I just thought I'd share my joy with ya'll.

It is definitely 30 degrees outside with a 50% chance of snow.
I definitely just saw a guy wearing shorts and a hawaiian shirt.

I started to wonder if that was because of extreme denial or extreme ignorance...because if it was extreme denial, how do I get that?...I mean he didn't even LOOK cold.

I hurt my knee last september when Nate and Steve-O were in Lubbock and now...

Lateral meniscus surgery...Wednesday, March 29.

I guess I can claim that I walked around (and ran) on a torn meniscus for 7 months....whatever that's worth. Doctor says that i'll need 6 weeks before I can run on it. I say that my thursday night intramural softball game will just be painful that week.

Alright, I held out long enough. I had to put the word verification on. Stupid junk comments. MAN!

Spring Break!

It's March. There is a high of 90 in Lubbock today. I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I'm 5 days of class, 4 papers, and three more tests away from spring break. All I really want to do is go play some frisbee golf...


(sighs)
(closes lap top screen)
(hangs head)
(grabs a text book)

Which is worse...That today was the first day that I vacuumed my room since moving in in August....OR that today was the first day that enough stuff was off my floor so that I possibly could vacuum?

I had a weird desire to change my major today. hmm

I was in Fort Worth this weekend for a Navigators conference. It went really well. The speaker was hilarious, the fellowship was unreal, and God was working FOR SURE. Just thought that I would post a few of my favorite ideas that the speaker left me with:

"Now is the only time you will ever have to tell unbelievers about Christ. For the rest of eternity, everyone you come into contact with will know Jesus in a personal way."

"God never discredits effort...just trying to earn His acceptance."

"You should learn to be uncomfortable with certain issues concerning how big God is."

And my favorite by far...

"Bust it for the King!"

Thoughts?

Right before I moved to Lubbock, my friend miles and I bought a few yellow jumpsuits to pay tribute to the movie Bottle Rocket and to leave our good buddy Brent with a little gift to remember us by. You can go here to see the jumpsuits. Well, anyways I hung mine on my ceiling in my dorm room so when you look up in my room it looks like there is a yellow sky diver about to land on you with outstreched arms. This has sparked so many conversations with guys on my floor about movies and then the discussion goes into how I heard about the movie which then leads in to us talking about church which then leads into an opportunity to share the gospel with people...not exactly what I would have had in mind when thinking about the term "creative evangelism" because it wasn't planned. So I encourage you...hang something weird from your ceiling. God might use THAT too.

Things that are pretty sweet...

-college
-Kanakuk for 2 months
-Tech Navs
-Texas weather (seriously, I like it)
-coffee shops
-friends both old and new who deeply care about my spiritual growth
-friends both old and new who's spiritual growth I deeply care about
-my new espresso maker and milk steamer
-Mexico '06...you're darn right I'm still going
-AND.......my Jesus who pretty much rocks my face off!


By the way, who started the whole "rocks my face off" thing?

Last night I went to a documentary made by three college-age kids in 2003. They traveled to Uganda to get a look at the war that is taking place over there. What is happening is that thousands of children between the ages of 5 and 12 are being kidnapped all over this part of Africa. The rebel group is targetting these young children because they are the easiest to brainwash to make them fight for their cause, which is to overthrow the government in Uganda. 7 year-olds carrying AK-47s and hunting knives being forced to murder other people. This is a war that has been taking place for over 17 years now. All of the children in the villages, out of fear of being abducted, travel to the nearest city EVERY night to sleep. They litteraly stay in the streets or wherever they can find, laying by the hundreds looking like kittens huddled up really close together with not a single adult in sight. They have very little access to food and own absolutley nothing. There is a traveling tour going on right now across the country...Lubbock was one of the first stops. If you have an opportunity then GO and see this movie. It isn't for entertainment, it isn't for fun...it is about real stuff that is happening every night, even tonight. You can go to invisiblechildren.com to learn more about it...and on April 29th, all across the United States people will be walking to the nearest big city and sleeping downtown to try and get some government involvement in Uganda. I know this probably sounds weird but if you get a chance then go and see the movie, because it will change the way you view things.

This is my new profile picture on facebook. For those of you who don't know what facebook is, it is an online yearbook-type-deal for all college students where you can keep in touch with anyone else in college around the country. For some reason I have gotten a lot of feedback regarding my new style...

Great News.

I received a phone call yesterday from a very important person...one of my heroes actually. This guy's name is Matt and happens to be one of the top directors at Kanakuk Kamps. Kind of intimidated that this guy was actually on the other end of the line of I stuttered out a "h-hey Matt." It was kinda funny. But getting down to it, he was calling to let me know of my acceptance to work at K-1 this summer. Further, he was asking if there was any way that they could twist my arm into working for two months. I said that it would definitely be something I would pray about. So that is incredible news, but I hoped that getting accepted to work there would be God's way of telling me exactly what I should be doing this summer, and now I have to see if He wants me there for two months rather than one. This is a good problem to have so pray for me in my decision-making process.

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial:

I only got to see the first half because I had to work but...
-without a doubt the one with the mother and her daughter walking up to the father's room with a Get Well Soon balloon. One of the doctors graps the defibrilator and electricutes a fly that is buzzing around the room. The mother and daughter walk in just in time to see the doctor standing near the patient's bed still holding the defibrilator paddles, saying, "Well, that killed him." ...Balloon slowly slides out of girls hand toward ceiling. Then some insurance ad....

What was yours?

I found out why my chemistry professor is so hard. I initially thought it was just because it was an honors class but it turns out to be much more than that. He graduated from Stanford, and then taught at Yale medical school for a number of years before taking the head honors chemistry professor job here at tech. What have I gotten myself into? And more importantly, why on earth would he want to be here?

I just ate an entire family size bag of funyuns.

Suddenly my stomach doesn't feel so great.

This weekend I am heading out to my grandmother's farm with my small group guys for a hunting trip. We are spending the weekend shooting things and having guy bonding time. I am so excited it's unreal. But the fact of the matter is, this is a weekend that we all need. Even though we've been together for a semester now there is still a real need for some extended time together to further develop the trust and brotherhood that every small group needs. This weekend will hopefully do just that.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to eat steak and shoot things.

I saw the movie Glory Road the other night. I know what you're thinking..if you've seen one Disney sports movie, you've seen them all. The underdog rises up and wins it all. Well....yeah. But go see this one. It's well made and pretty thought provoking. It's $7.50 well spent for sure.

One more thing....I'm a little bitter that there are no student discounts at the movie theaters in Lubbock.

New diagnosis on the knee. I have what they call Patella Femoral Syndrom. What it means is that whenever I put pressure on my knee...my knee cap rubs against another bone in my knee causing PAIN. It took 6 doctors with a combined college career of 60 years to figure that one out. COME ON!

I finally went to the doctor about my knee that has been bothering me for the past 5 months. It turns out that when Nathan and Steve-O were down here in Lubbock in September, they witnessed me tearing my Meniscus. Stubborn as I am, I shrugged it off and waited 5 months before finding out the pain wasn't getting any lighter and a doctor should look at it. I have an appointment with Sports Medicine today. I just want it to be over with....ugh

I love those times when physical drain comes at the exact same time as spiritual refreshment. It highlights that God is in control, often unconventional, and has your every need in His radar. This weekend was one of those times. I just got very little sleep, because my house was packed with family, which means Craig sleeps on the floor, But I had a great time teaching high school sunday school at my church, and had an incredible interview for an organization that is doing so much to further the Kingdom of God. It is really an honor and a learning experience have both of those opportunities.

Nap time....

I had a professor last semester that told the class that everything was math. The walls were math, our cars were math, our lives were math. I had a professor yesterday tell the whole class that everything was history. I had a professor today tell the whole class that everything was chemistry. There seems to be a problem here, each subject can't be everything can it? If it is, then why am I taking so many different classes, and paying thousands of dollars to take 5 classes that will all teach me everything, if one class alone will teach me everything? Or maybe I would appreciate it if a professor would approach a subject as it actually is...a SUBJECT and not the only thing that matters in this world.

My chemistry professor actually said that we would be studying reality and analyzing it without applying our former beliefs. He said that he doesn't want his students to be too lazy to think for themselves so they put their beliefs in some fairytale. I can't wait until the day when reality is discovered by all.

Alright...I head back to Lubbock tomorrow morning, early. But, I head back here next friday evening for my Kanakuk interview on Sunday. AND, I'm teaching the high school class at my church while many of them are off on a retreat. My Kanakuk interview was orginally in October, click here to see the earlier post, but there was some paperwork that I needed mailed in from places like Florida, and Kansas that took a little time, so I rescheduled. This week will be quite eventful as I try and learn my class load, work a few days, as well as drive back and forth from Dallas a few times...if only I had my own personal jet.

A month off from school sure seems to go by fast.