(Super) Summer '09

Tomorrow begins the long-awaited event of the summer for the Liberty Student Ministry.... rivaling summer camp for the most spirited & excitement-filled chaos, jam-packed into 3 nights rather than 5 full days.

In short, it's team competition. On steroids. With lots and lots of colorful ridiculousness. It's grown bigger & bigger each time, and judging by the list of pre-sign-ups... it's gunna be huge this year. The staff divides up the youth into 12 teams (i could be wrong.... but i think we only had 8 teams last year). The teams are characterized by colors. Blue, Red, Yellow, PINK (my team, 3rd year in a row.. and reigning '08 champions), Orange, Black, etc etc etc. The main job for each team is to bring as many of their friends out that hardly ever, or never, go to church anywhere. The majority of us, leaders & youth alike, go team-spirit-crazy and deck ourselves out in our team's color in any way possible. I get a kick out of shopping for pink stuff every year... especially the looks I get from the dressing room attendants, and the cashiers. Now, of course, winning the games = points for your team.... but the most points come from bringing visitors. My team blew away the competition last year and went from 15-ish kids to almost 60 by the end of the 3-night event.

Enough info though... here's a couple pictures from last year to give you an idea of what this will be like this year

best. entrance. ever. (so far)

they set the bar very high... no doubt.

day FOUR (amongst other things)

so i've made it to day 4 without any soda or fast food.... so liberating! i feel better already. keep up with any random check-ups to make sure i'm holding to it. i still haven't decided on a set timeline for this.... maybe i'll just keep going indefinitely haha.

busy day today! went to Busch Gardens with the youth group, and it's always a blast with those kids... and especially going early on a weekday. those lines were shorter than i've ever seen them. also, the Griffon should be twice as long. such a disappointingly short ride, with it being so mighty & epic. anyways, plenty of humorous moments & awkward statements made my middle schoolers.... so hard not to laugh sometimes, when the situation calls for an authoritative response.

also, saw the movie The Hurt Locker tonight @ amc. very good movie, and very realistic depiction of the war in Iraq (if not the best portrayal yet).... definitely reminded me why I will never join the military. Don't get me wrong, I come from a military family and I have great respect & appreciation for our troops.... but that's just not for me... not my calling.

ah yes, and in closing, my good friend Brandon McPherson made it to the final 10 in the Face of Fox 43 contest (here's the link). crazy! kinda makes me wish I had jumped on board this contest too. maybe next year......

curse you, fast food & soda

That's it!!! I've had enough with this feeling of iccckkk and disgust brewing inside me... every time i indulge in some Taco Bell, or Sonic, or McD's, or Wendy's... it's just not worth it. I feel like garbage right now, my stomach didn't sit well with some Taco Bell + Mountain Dew from late lunch not too long ago... 'nuff said. There was a reason I cut back BIG time on sodas & fast food for a good month or so (if not longer, i didn't do the best at keeping track after 2-weeks or so). I've probably rewound back to step 1, before I lost 15ish lbs from cutting back on all of that.. and playing some intense ultimate frisbee twice a week for several hours. I can only hope I haven't completely counter-acted all that progress, but I'm afraid to seek out a scale and find out.

Consider this day 0.5, since I'm declaring this so late into the day... but I'm not drinking anything but water for the rest of today, for starters. I'll slightly cheat by allowing my favorite Vitamin Water in on the deal (XXX blueberry pomegranate) and some watered down lemonade while at work.... and I'm not going cold turkey with fast food. Cutting back to once or twice a week MAX, then going from there. I messed up the first time around by not declaring this, thus closing myself off from being held accountable at random by people who are in-the-know. So now you know, and I'm giving you the right to check up on me at random... on blogger, on facebook, via text, WHATEVER! You've been granted a mighty task, use it wisely.

Now excuse me while I go lay down & rub my belly, and finish off this first water bottle.....

random blurb time

it's been a busy week or so... time for some random blurbs of info

-Dalton (LBC college pastor) & Lindsay Beth's wedding was this past Friday night! lots of set-up for the wedding & reception ever since last Thursday.... didn't recognize our own church once everything was complete. congrats to the both of them, what an amazing night!

-July 4th @ Y-town beach was fantastic. 9 hrs of hang-time with the gang that ended up going... plenty of food, sunburn, ice cream, frisbee, sand, and of course fireworks. also, the detour to Williamsburg & back afterwards? a bit ridiculous. York County police need to take Detours 101 again....

-As previously blogged, I spoke on Wed. nite for the youth group service! Such an answer to prayer that everything went smoothly.... I owe alot to all the encouragement from friends & youth alike. God worked mightily and I heard some great feedback from the students, even more incredible hearing that some significant points got across to them... very uplifting message from one of the students later that night, about how she was deeply affected & getting herself back on track after realizing some issues in her own life. All God, none of me.

-Also, ultimate frisbee afterwards (and last nite, too) were incredibly intense. Blood, sweat, & tears for sure... in a good way. Maybe not so much with the tears.... but definitely some ridiculous (and amusing) collisions & almost-injuries.... phew!

-Richmond this past Thursday nite for the All Time Low / We The Kings / Cartel concert @ The National w/ J-Ray, Zach, Brelyn, and Kassy. Cartel owned all the others... plus they aren't pointless & obscene with their between-song banter... so that's a plus. Can't wait to hear their new single that premieres online tomorrow. Also, they tweet-replied to my post about them right after their set. Yep, I'm slightly gloating. Moment over.

-Taco Bell is delicious, more specifically the Cheesy Gordita Crunch (with extra baja sauce). I need to refrain, more often.... that tasty treat is my weakness.....

-Wore a new vest to the wedding... and I was so pumped on the vest I wore it again today. I'm a fan of the v-neck tee/vest combo.... makes me feel like I'm in a band. Hmm..... might need to act on that....

-Watched most of "The Lost World" again yesterday before ultimate frisbee. Pretty sure I'll always be hyped on dinosaurs. I've been a huge fan of them ever since I was little, and whether the script is up-to-par or not... I'm excited for the possible 4th Jurassic Park movie


.... okay it's nap time

undeserved opportunities

Phew.....

It's a wonder that I ever slack off or falter away from my relationship with God.... because despite my ignorance & lack of effort at times to spend time in the Word & talking to Him, He still blesses me with such amazing opportunities & experiences. It's all coming together, into the bigger picture of just how much Liberty Baptist's youth group has meant to my life as a whole. I was presented with the opportunity to speak tomorrow night for the youth group, while Ben & John Paul (the high school/middle school pastors) are on a leadership retreat with some of the youth. I thought alot of time/prayer would go into what I should talk about tomorrow, but almost instantly it hit me. Well, moreso the general topic... but today as I sat here reading & writing out my message's outline, it became very clear how important this youth group has been for me & who I've become up to this point in my life.

At first, I was merely going to talk about the masks we wear in life... especially during the years of middle/high school... where many feel like they have to change who they are depending on their environment, or who they're around. Putting on a mask for school, and changing masks to go to church, or to work, or even how we present ourselves online. As I sat here formulating my thoughts, the importance of community & fellowship amongst fellow believers inter-weaved itself into the topic at hand. I realized how my time spent as a student in the youth group, and how I was truly myself & comfortable there, shaped who I am now... and how the disconnect between that and how I acted at school was illogical (surprisingly enough... I was the quiet kid who kept to myself more often than not... lost in my random sketching/doodling). It was so liberating for me when I realized that, towards the end of my high school years.. and how important it was for those masks to be thrown away, and just be me.. no matter where I am or who I'm surrounded by. I can only hope at least 1 of the youth tomorrow night walks away from hearing the message, and strives to apply the necessary changes in their own life.

I was feeling a bit hesitant at first... because despite my usual nature, I'm not the biggest fan of public speaking. Luckily word got out that I was speaking this week, and the encouragement & excitement from various kids from the youth group & others has really motivated & pumped me up for tomorrow.

Welp, there you have it.... one step closer & one more experience lined up to keep me in-check & grounded in what I need to be doing with my life... bittersweet to leave in August for school, but exciting nonetheless.... and double-the-excitement when I'm able to come home to see all these youth again for events like Disciple Now weekend retreats and maybe random Wednesday & Sundays

they just want to talk

and here i was thinking they just wanted to play chase...

patriotic hooray

First off.... it's almost July 4th, already??? Summer has my full permission to sloowwwww down. I've experienced alot already this summer, leading up to this point.... but yet it still feels like it shouldn't be July so soon.

highlights (so far):

-frisbee! ultimate frisbee/frisbee golf.. and all the antics, extreme moments, and blood.. sweat.. & tears shed. in the best way possible, of course. heck... I've lost upwards of 15 lbs thanks to the intense frisbee fun. Woot!

-camping! one weekend actually in the outdoors (with the college group from LBC), and one week in the mountains of West VA staying in plush condos @ Snowshoe (with the youth group from LBC). both involving bears.

-speaking of camp @ Snowshoe.... what an incredible week. great bonding/unifying moments of chaotic fun.. spiritual growth & change.. free food (for the leaders, at least...).. top-notch worship band (the Stephen Cole Band).. and everything in-between. God is amazing.

-weddings! Brian "Whoaday" & Samantha Norris, and Jason & Delia Fowler. Stoked for both couples! And I was in Brian & Sam's wedding! Such a great experience. Also, Jason & Delia's reception was the longest one I've ever been to... and it was fantastic

-midnite movies! whether the movie was any good or not (more often not) it didn't matter. great times hanging out with the movie-going gang, with the occasional post-movie IHOP feasting

-CANADA! that trip was amazing. 'nuff said. looking forward to the possibility of returning in December (!!!)

Now.... this leads me to tomorrow. The 4th of July. Last year's events were awesome.. spent the whole day @ Yorktown Beach, followed by some group-games & hang-time @ a friend's afterwards with almost everyone that joined for the beach-time. Aiming for a repeat this year, gathering early on... 11am or so... and car-pooling to Yorktown Beach to begin the day. We'll see how it goes from there. What are YOU doing for this festive weekend? Cook-outs? Fireworks? Boating? All 3 at the same time, somehow??

quality scare-tactic

i'll post a lengthier update, with real substance & enjoyment.... but for now, enjoy my previous belated post & this video of a great scare moment

that is all. i'm off to the mall food court to enjoy some lunch & hang-time with our youth group's leadership & whichever youth find rides or car-pool together. let the mayhem begin!

belated update

per request of the man behind robshep.com himself..... I present to you the lyrical response to a relationship that ended back in March, courtesy of Relient K

"Mood ring oh mood ring
Oh tell me will you bring
The key to unlock this mystery
Of girls and their emotions
Play it back in slow motion
So I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind"

this update has been brought to you by Relient K, and the new Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito™ from Taco Bell®