Faith of Our Fathers.

Whell. It is 9:30 a.m. and I just hiked back from the campsite to campus and took a shower. It feels really good to shower after 3 days of very sweaty activity, and it is also very satisfying to finally wash the blood that has been caked onto your legs along with dirt and sweat. That's right, I bled in the dirt, and I didn't do a thing about it until this morning. Needless to say it was a killer game of capture the flag, and the consequences of my actions are that I now have a gimp right leg. I ran into a tree last night and spiked my leg on a rouge branch from this stump that picked itself up and set itself down directly in my path. Im not really sure if that is how it went down, but I definitely didn't see it there before I hit it, and even though it was dark I am pretty positive I am too slick to just run into trees in the dark (I wish). Yesterday was a good day in spite of all injuries. It started off with some morning testimonies and worship, then training on the mountain bike trails, archery, and bouldering. All Im gonna say about the archery is that you all should probably start referring to me as Robin Hood. That's right, 6 bullseyes in a row from about 50 feet. No big deal, it's just how I live my life. If you ain't first, your last (j/k about the first/last thing. but no j/k about the bullseyes. that really happened). The bouldering wall is pretty fun, the designer really worked in some really challenging problems. So challenging in fact that only me and one other counselor could traverse the wall. It will be interesting to see junior campers give it a shot. Mountain bikin too was a lot of fun. The trail we took is really difficult, especially for people who haven't ridden a bike since age 7. I had the esteemed privelege of seeing 3 noob counselors rack themselves in a very big way on the first big hill. It was good times. Last night we camped out and captured flags, today we go white water rafting and backpacking. Could things get any better?

Photo Post.

Okay first they are in reverse order cause im bad at blogging. Second, I always take my lightsaber, even during counselor orientation to Devil's Courthouse

You can have all this world.

I am sitting on my bed at one in the morning on my birthday trying to rack my brain for all of the things that I am sure I have left off of my packing list. There are lots of little random things that you normally wouldn't include on such a list that are absolutely crucial to have at camp. I think I have it all, so I'm just going to stop worrying about it. I have had a very fun and edifying 2 weeks back here in ol' S.C., and I have felt the Lord begin to prepare me and my buddy Trey as we gird our loins for the intense atmosphere that is camp ministry, Ridge Haven style.

I played the prelude in church this morning, and it was Beethoven's Sonata no. 1 op. 94 in G minor. I don't think I have ever enjoyed playing classical piano more than when I did this morning. Playing a piece that was composed only by direct inspiration from our savior in order to help prepare the congregation's hearts for worship is one of the most comprehensively fulfilling experiences I have ever experienced. I hadn't looked at it for about 3 weeks since my jury, and to my amusement I played it head and shoulders above the level that I did in my jury. Go figure.

I have wanted for a while now to blog about the book I am currently reading, but I haven't quite had enough time to get deep enough into it to really spell it out yet. The book is called "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. It is a critique on the decline of the methods of communication over time, and the effect of the most current method, television and mass media, on todays culture. He diagnoses the problem as this. Humans and all of creation were created as part of a narrative. That narrative includes our individual lives, and the lives of those before us and those that will come after. We were created to view our circumstances in light of that eternal narrative. Since we are a part of this tradition, we should weigh the heaviness and/or lightness of our conditions in light of eternity. He shows that the biggest problem with todays deteriorated form of over-convenienced mass comunication is that we start to exist within small chunks of time. T.V. and radio are scheduled in hour or so long bytes, and the unconcious affect of digesting said forms of dialouge and entertainment is that we cease to exist as a part of a narrative but as a part of a convenient, self-centered short amount of time that is usually dedicated to our own gratification. Dialouge and communication becomes devalued; easy come, easy go. A common result is the LOL BRB TTYL LYLAS and all the impersonal abbreviations that are becoming a regular part of todays conversations.

The part that I love the most is how hopeless existing in such a state can make one feel, because it directs us back to the creator and the reason for which we were created. Being consumed with stress or rage or despair is a result of living in the moment. Our hope is in the Lord, the Lord of the past, present, and future who has ordained our steps and is watching over us, and we as Christians have the responsibility and privelege to enjoy and enrich the Christian Tradition that we are a part of. Thank you, Neil Postman.

It is now 1:24 in the a.m., the morning of my birthday. Nineteen doesn't fell any different. If anything, it feels like a step back from eighteen because of how far it makes you feel from twenty. Oh well, Im just happy that God allowed me to be alive. What a joy it is to breathe the air and drink my mom's delicious sweet tea and read good books and smoke cheap cigarettes on the front porch, all at the same time, all in one day!! Man, life is GOOOD. I mean, goodness. God is Good.

Pray for me that as I travel and settle in at camp tomorrow that Christ will work through all of the different speakers and teachers that will be a part of the training process. Also pray that the counselors will really be given a heart of absolute servanthood for the summer. Especially me. I love you wallballers.

Closing Up Shop...

This week is the final stretch of my time at home. It makes me sad but at the same time I am really starting to feel the anticipation for another amazing summer at Ridge Haven. There are little things that have started to happen that start to move me more in the direction of camp. I bought a watch and a new pair of shoes, both of which are crucial for having a succesful camp counselor experience. I've started consolidating my wardrobe in anticipation of long, sweaty days with little need for all the fashionable bells and whistles that appear so frequently in my choices of clothing (not). As I prepare for this, I want to show you some of the things that I will be missing here the most. Friends.Family.Longboarding adventures in Stateburg at One Mile Hill.

N.C., here I come. Oh and Scott too.

[ ] As All Get Out

This Wednesday I am going down to Charleston to hang out with my buddy nate and play a show with him at The Map Room. I am really really excited because me and nate have this musical connection that has been developed since we were like 15. We started playing together in early high school, and now I am at college and he is in two pretty serious bands out of Charleston. He plays bass in the band The Explorers Club. Check them out at www.myspace.com/explorersclub, they have a really cool sound. The band that im going to play keys/tambourine/synth for on Wednesday is called all get out. www.myspace.com/loudasallgetout . Im really excited to get to spend a lot of time with nate and also getting to play a show again. It's been awhile. Anyways, check out those sites. See you on the web.

ow. ouch, ow ooh.

Ouch. That is the only word that can accurately describe my insides right now. Ouch is now an adjective.

it starts today.

Today as in 8 hours or so from now. I am done lazing around and recovering from school. being so sedentary has kind of left me gasping for activitiy. I decided at the end of this semester to set goals for myself this summer that are not outlandish or unreasonable, because I want to enter next fall feeling like I am further along then when I left a couple weeks ago.

1: I am going to practice my sight reading like mad this summer. It is the main thing holding me back in my piano study, and at this point there is no good reason why it's not up to par. This will mean lots of hymns and a couple Beethoven sonatas and/or Bach preludes.

2: I am going to read 3 books. I started reading the first one today. It is called "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. It is a really thoughtful commentary on the consumerist, entertainment-minded culture that we are a part of, and the damage that it does to the unconciously participating individual. The next two are TBA.

3: I am going to try and memorize all of First John. I tried last summer and came up a couple chapters short, so theres no reason why I can't git-er-done for this one.

4: I can't remember the last one, but I wrote it down in my journal, so don't worry.

I feel like these are things that are accomplishable in spite of having a busy summer at camp. It is good for me to have an agenda on the backburner for when you come across spare time; it really helps eliminate lazy procrastination.

God has really been getting a hold on me recently, and in a manner that I am not too familiar with. Its so humbling to see him provide in ways that you know you don't deserve. I have been blessed with really incredible friends, and it is so encouraging to know that you have them behind you to help with struggles you are dealing with. Seeing God provide in this way in spite of my continuing delinquency towards him is such a wake-up call. As a Christian I am usually most aware of God's presence in my life when I come to a point where I am so desperate that I finally, after all else has failed me, turn to him for a way out. What I have seem lately though is that God is pleased to bless me when I feel as if I don't particularly need it. While that exposes my foolish method of self-evaluation, it also brings to my attention that being surprised by God's grace can be most humbling when you least expect it. Blessing heaped up on blessing. I am confronted with the fact that Christ's presence in my life is all-encompassing, in good times and bad, on his schedule and not my own. What a reassurance and privelege we have to approach the throne at all times in all places with the promise of hope.

I miss my Danboy the hard way.

home again, home again, jiggity jig.

well, here is a running description of my return home. it starts with me being in the car taking lame pictures of myself driving home, traverses through longboarding in stateburg with dave, making delicious omelets at 2 in the afternoon, wearing the sweetest shirt in the world that trey gave me, and loving life at home. i miss my normal friends so much.










oh yeah and i delivered the pic in front of my house. where are the others, huh? i want to see them.

flavor flav

These are some pics from the last stand of the band. We came, we saw, and a lot of people danced. Good times.

final farewells and concert

Welp i just said bye to tobi, and now I'm really depressed. Saying goodbye to my friends has never been so hard before, it's really really weird. I don't like it. Tomorrow I have dress rehearsals most of the day for the celebration concert on friday night. I am performing with chorale and yazz band, so be there. I can't wait to get out of the empty shell that this school has become in the past two days and be home with my family and friends. Can't wait, and here they are...

freyunds

Todays was the last day before Kyrie and Sienna leave, and their impending absence is bringing a sense of finality to this semester. We went down to Vincent and Kiko Howard's and had burgers and not beer, and some sweet times on the trampoline. I have enjoyed the last month of this semester so much more than the rest of it. I have really cool friends, and we have had some really sweet fellowship. Here are some pics of my friends. World, be jealous.