There is nothing like a few runs to Race Track to get a cheap fountain drink refill and then going to play some frisbee golf to get the summer started off properly. Except the fact that I LOVE 100 degree weather(I might be the only one) and its only been about 85-90 recently...but I can live with that...

High school Wednesday night Bible studies at my church are now over for the summer...and in my case, forever. So last night I attended the college and young adults Bible study. It was really cool to see these people accept me, and the other graduating seniors/new freshman...or whatever we are called now. We were pulled straight into the group. It was interesting to see new view points on issues and hear the wisdom that God has given them through experience. I will say however, it is a little weird that half of the guys in the group are married. And what is even more weird is that I went to part of high school with some of the married couples....and one of the guys that is now IN my Bible study TAUGHT my freshman Bible study...it is just a different atmosphere, but at the same time we are all followers of Christ wanting to grow and mature. The love of Christ can pull any group of people into a tight knit group, despite age, interests, or personalities. So thank you college and young adult group.

Seniors 2005, It has been an honor.

More thinking about graduation...

I am so used to seeing the same faces in the hallways at Marcus High School. Some of the faces I have seen practically everyday since 2nd grade. But this last week of school is weird. It seems like every time that I see many of those people, I make a mental note in my mind that "Hey, this might be the last time I ever see that person." I also find myself telling people good-bye and good luck in the future more than once...because I'm not sure whether or not I will get a chance to see them again before our 10 year reunion...and then sure enough...I see them again so I must tell them good-bye and good luck in the future because I may never see you again.

I'm sorry...my mind works very akwardly.

My Buddy Brent, who just so happens to be a youth minister with a passion for teenagers like that of no one else, has a list of links to blogs of current students in his youth ministry and a list of links to blogs of former students in his youth ministry. I was realizing that in a few short days, he will take the names of all of the seniors, myself included, and put them under the Blogs of Former Students link list. I'm not sure when it will hit me that I won't be taught on a regular basis by this amazing servant of God again. But really...Seniors...isn't that sad?

I just finished introducing my brother to the greatness of Bottle Rocket. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Tax dollars hard at work

Tomorrow the senior class will be going to Main Event for 5 hours rather than attending school. We will have free laser tag, bowling, pool, arcade games, and food. I say free...but I mean for $20. But if you know Main Event, you recognize that this is a great deal. Why do seniors even go to school the last few weeks???

GET OUT!!

So when I got home this weekend, my parents had dropped another subtle hint that they are ready for my departure. My bathroom, which used to be dark blue and very obviously a "boy's bathroom", is now bright red and pink with fluffy carpet mats and matching light switch and electricity outlet covers. The shower curtain is also VERY GIRLY. It almost makes me uncomfortable to go in there. I'm sure that my sister will really enjoy her new bathroom. But COME ON!!! At least wait until I'm gone.

So my weekend has been pretty cool. I went down to College Station and camped at a state park down there. On Saturday, I went and did an obstacle course-type-deal that was 30 feet in the air. It involved jumping off of 30 feet tall telephone poles and grabbing a trapeze, walking a balance beam(also 30 feet in the air) BLINDFOLDED, Tight-wire walking and rapelling. It was nice just to get in nature and relax, as well as have a good time.

It's time for my last full week of school....EVER......or at least until I have to start paying for it.

Ok. So am I excited about graduation, or am I afraid to leave a very comfortable atmosphere? One in which I have tons of friends who accept me for who I am and respect my decision to follow Christ whether they have made that same decision or not. An environment where I never have too much "stuff" to worry about, even when I make life out to be stressful and difficult. An atmosphere in which I have amazing people who disciple me and help me to grow.

I like how our emotions follow exactly what we are thinking in our minds. It is really stupid. Here I am thinking about all of the things that I will be leaving, and not thinking about all of the amazing things that God has for me next year. Your emotions are responders....they only RESPOND to what is going on inside of your head. If error or completely false thinking is going on, your emotions react to that false thinking as truth, when in all reality it isn't.

I doubt any of this made any sense...but it's clear as anything to me.

Well I feel like I need to update, but there are way too many things going on in my head to pick one or two and write about them. But an underlying message recently seems to be that God's plan for my life is definitely going to take me out of my comfort zone. The sooner I accept that, the easier this will all be.....

There is this elderly couple that I take care of their lawn, trees, and other jobs for. Well yesterday spent about 4 1/2 hours trimming their trees and putting the limbs out for the trash people to take on Tuesday. Well there was a bit of a storm last night and I received a phone call. I had to go and move all of the branches off of Homestead(which is a street near theirs) and back next to the sidewalk because they had blown away during the night. And then I received some very funny looks from people driving by as I was sweeping off the street with a broom when it was all finished. I'm sure that looked peculiar.

When I woke up this morning, I was informed by my mother that I needed to clean out my room, put everything in boxes, and be pretty much ready to move out. It sounds like they are trying to get rid of me a little too soon considering I don't leave until June 21, and then I'll be back and leave for good in mid-August. And then I asked her about looking for a small car with good gas mileage for me, because both of my brothers got a better car when they graduated so that they could drive back and forth from college. Well...my mother is a little dramatic at times and I must have caught her at a bad time, but she pretty much said that she thinks that I can share a car with my brother next year in Lubbock. So I laughed and left the room....then I realized that she might not be joking so I went back in the room...turned out to not be so much of a joke. I'm sure that I will get a car for next year, I just probably shouldn't bring it up too much. If I look on my own, find a good deal, and then confront my parents I will have much better luck.

I have such amazing friends. We had our Band Banquet tonight. (Don't laugh, we aren't as big of dorks as you think) It was really cool to hang out with the people that I have spent the past four years with (some of them 7 years) for one last time. It's really sad in a way, because those people will never be together in the same room again.

I've never really understood the meaning of bitter-sweet until these past few weeks.

Diet Dr. Pepper does NOT taste more like regular Dr. Pepper...Disgusting

May of Senior Year!!!!!!!! So much stuff to do, I wish it would all just go away. I can't wait for summer.

I'm really going to miss Tuesday nights with the mid-schoolers. 7th grade guys...ya'll are all so awesome and God will use you in amazing ways in your futures...I KNOW it!

Did you see the Mavericks game????? Oh my gosh. That is what I'm talking about.

I have a question. Why didn't Bradley play tonight? I missed the last little bit of the 4th game in the series...did something happen to him. I used to think that he was just a 7ft 6 in. waste of space, but he has been able to do some damage recently and I was wondering why he didn't play tonight. We could have used him against the Chinese giant, Yoa Ming. I doubt that anyone else cares...I'm a dork.

There are few people that I respect as much as some of the guys in my junior and senior guys Bible study. "Iron sharpening iron", as we grow together in Christ. When there is an issue, we will call eachother on it and most of the time our hearts are softened by God and we mature further in our walks. I don't know how I will even begin to say good-bye to some of my brothers in Christ as I leave Flower Mound to start a new phase of my life, and as some of them also leave and others stay... Each year, the seniors at my church get a few minutes to give a senior speech. I don't know how I will address these guys in my speech....I don't know if I can... But if any of you are reading this...Thanks for being studs. Keep God #1 and go serve him as I know that each of you will have amazing impacts on the Kingdom...and I can't wait to see the fruits of you labors...whether it is in Flower Mound during your senior year next year for you juniors, or if it is somewhere else for those of us graduating.

I know that I said I wouldn't have many serious blogs anymore...it was just really brought to my attention.
Enjoy the people that God has put in your life NOW!

Let's see if the Mavs can pull it off again today at 4:30. Dirk's gotta make his shots.......