This new life.

Its been a while.
thats alright though.
College is here...well its been here for about 2 and a half months now, and I am having the time of my life. New friends, new experiences, a new home. Maybe I like it more than I actually should.
I have gotten so caught up in all this new that sometimes I forget about the old. I liked the old, and there is no way Im done with the old yet. I dont think I ever will be done with it.

Ive also got so caught up in the new that sometimes I forget why I am here on this earth. Im not here to be a musician. Im not here just to live this life then be done....

Im here for Jesus.
I have to remind myself of that quite often.

I go to church..but is it real? or is it just to say that I went to church? Its been real for me a couple times. Im still in search for that church that I find myself completley comfortable.

Its starting to get cold and I like it.
Although the smells of woodstove and mountain air arent consuming me, the cold feels right.

Last night I got sit a listen to Donald Miller. Blue like jazz was a perfect creation. He made me realize a couple things. The most important was to stop sitting around wondering what could happen and to actually take the chance. Not that easy, but Im gonna start taking the chance more often. Although he didnt actually say this, he made me realize how much more I need to start reading the bible. Hes just another normal guy, and he knows so much about it.

thats all.

a good sunday rain.

I think i've come to a realization in the past couple weeks.
Christians mess up. Why am I expected to be perfect? Im not.
When I mess up, God is there. Waiting. He knows whats going to happen before it even occurs, and most of the time after I mess up, I picture God, standing there with a machete in his hands ready to completley cut me in two. But its not like that. Sure, there are consequences for my mistakes, but I think God is more focused on how he can fix me and make a pure relationship with me rather than how he can punish me.

Summer is coming to an end and im getting that nervous feeling in my stomach.
The moment Ive been eagerly awaiting is almost here.
Am I ready?

oh man.

I've fallen,


and I can't get up.

peanut butter pools.

today,
was a good day.
it was good at the start, but it got better and better as it went on.
other than getting to hang out with my amazing friends, I got a call from my parents saying that we were leaving early in the morning for a surprise trip to charleston. woah. Hopefully that goes well.

band practice.

Jesus paid it all.

All to him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain.

He washed it.

White as snow.

let us break this down, shall we?

1. Jesus paid it all.

Wow. Thats too deep to even try to elaborate on. Why do we even need to worry? Jesus paid it all.

2. All to him I owe.

Everything we do, everything we say. Everything.

We owe to him, Christ Jesus. After all, he paid it all, why not give back what he deserves.

3. Sin had left a crimson stain.

We all have sin. It leaves stains.

4. He washed it.

Wow. You rarely see someone who forgives someone else without hesitation......I dont know many people like that.

But I do know Jesus.

and he is like that.

5. White as snow.

.............yeah.

I often wonder why God would love me so much.

The creator of the world, of the universe, of

Everything.

why does he take time for me when there more important things out there?

i dont know.

but it makes me feel good inside.

Oh praise the one who paid my debt.

and raised this life up from the dead.

I cant contain it.

This feeling Jesus gives me.

im walking on sunshine.

you know. carowinds is hot. real hot.
and when your walking on the pavement barefoot...barefoot haha thats a funny word......
your feet blister and make it even that much harder to walk the next day.
on top of plantar fascitis,

blisters.

thanks.

ill be alright.
ill be alright.

Big Mac.

I like the feeling of reuniting with friends....even if they have only been gone for a week.

This day.

UP is the best animated movie I have seen in a while.
fun stuff.......

Thank you Lord for my father.
Happy Fathers day, dad.

woah man. woah.

i like storms.

i like them so much, that I sit outside and wait with my camera until lightning strikes.

when the thunder rolls....

For the past two nights I have gotten to sit in with a youth group during their worship service.
It has been amazing.
And if nobody else got anything out of it, I did.
The band that, Exodus, is one of several praise bands from liberty university and was so full of the spirit of God.
The first night I went was great, dont get me wrong, but it was from the second night in which I found myself having another revelation.

The piano player was introducing one of their songs titled "Give love Away."
It was a name with meaning. I just didnt care to search for that meaning until later on that night.
He (the piano player) then started to speak about worship. He said that typically, when most christians think of the word "worship", music automatically comes to mind.
He was right.
When I think of worship, thats the only thing I associate with it....music. He then said something that made me think....

"Music in church is just....music"
he was absolutley right.

Worship is Giving away the love that God so graciously gave you and me.
This is where the song tied in if you havent already guessed.

Im not saying that the only way to worship is by giving your love away...
but its a good way to start.

God help me to give my love away.

long lines.

its days like this where I want to shoot myself in the foot.
not only because of my plantar fasciitis,
but because of how bored I actually am.
blowing spit bubbles even sounds amusing right now.

great things are happening.

This feeling....

it feels so good.

I cant even begin to describe how I have felt the past day and a half. Its like I am floating....

I graduated yesterday. Yes. Thats right. I did.

Its surreal, and although I thought I should be feeling sad about leaving all my friends, I wasn't.

Because im not losing my friends. Im actually keeping up with them quite well. I've even gained a couple good friends in the last week or so. I really dont care how hard it will be, but I am going to keep good relationships with the friends I have now while I am in Charlotte.

One thing keeps coming back to my mind right now, so I think ill write about it.

Yesterday during graduation the student speakers seemed to put a lot of emphasis on how much you need to thank those who raised you, whether it be your parents or your great distant twice removed old as heck aunt. This made me ponder. Which doesnt normally happen. I thought about how much my parents do for me. The little things that they do. The big things that they do. How they stay up all night to help you when your throwing up not in the toilet, but all around it. How they buy you everything you want at the grocery store, even if you wont eat it. Im pretty sure the love parents have towards their children is almost as great as the love shown by Jesus Christ towards everyone. This all got me to thinking about how once we come to that certain age in which we gain independence and a sense of maturity, we need to tell them how much we appreciate them. Yesterday after all the graduation festivities, I went to each one of my parents and told them thank you and how much I loved and appreciated them for getting me through my life. It brought me much joy to see their eyes light up and the smile stretch a mile across their faces.

You know.

What im trying to say can be sumed up in a little scripture.

Eph. 6: 1-3

Children, obey your parents in the lord for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (for this is a commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."

puzsta.

I cant wait for college, but at the same time, Im scared to death. Its weird to think about basically starting over again.

12:51

two blogs in one day.
maybe im not meant to blog.

For starters...

You know....
I really dont know what to write in a blog.
But I guess a good way to start is by talking about how much I am in love with Jesus.
He helps me through everyday. He's there when no one else is. He is compassionate. He is the voice of truth. He will reign forever.
I dont know any other word to describe him other than
perfect.