Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas

Eric Metaxas delivers an extensive biography of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Metaxas chronicles Bonhoeffer’s life from childhood, through his academic years, his pastoral years, time spent with the German Resistance against Hitler, and finally ends with his execution. Throughout the biography, Metaxas inserts letters and writings that further help us to understand the thought process behind Bonhoeffer’s actions. Additionally, Metaxas includes a lot of history to help the reader understand the culture and times in which Bonhoeffer lived.

I LOVED this biography. I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone I know. I haven’t read much Bonhoeffer, but reading about his life and the small snippets of his writings makes me want to immediately go out and read everything he’s ever written. This work was inspiring and often quite convicting. There were times when Metaxas was very wordy and he really enjoyed using clichés, but I was willing to look past all that because of how incredible the story was. And the fact that Bonhoeffer actually lived and did all these things rather than just being some made up hero figure is what really makes this biography so great. It shows us that we can live truly powerful lives if we completely commit ourselves and our wills into God’s hands. Don’t be daunted by how long this book is. Every once in awhile it seems to drag, but it is truly worth the time.

*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: "Saint Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers

BookSneeze® provided me with a complimentary copy of this book so that I could review it.

"Saint Patrick" is part of a Thomas Nelson series called “Christian Encounters.” The point of the series is to make church history more accessible for the general believer. In the “Saint Patrick” book, Rogers attempts to get behind the legends and consumerism of St. Patrick’s Day to the true life of the actual saint. Rogers examines the history available about Patrick and puts him into context. Additionally, there is an Appendix with writings attributed to St. Patrick.

I thought the premise of this book – seeking the true man behind the legend – was great, but it didn’t turn out exactly as I expected. There was a lot of speculation on Rogers’ part (though, as an academic, I know that this is the best he could do with the sources available to him). I suppose I was more interested in the grandiose stories than I realized, so I was expecting more of those. However, for the purpose of the book, and the series in general, I think Rogers did a good job of presenting the real Patrick and introducing the reader to the history. This book was a little dry at times, but it definitely made me more interested in learning about the true Patrick. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in an academic introduction to the true St. Patrick and the Irish culture of his time.

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I am making the switch over to Tumblr.. not sure if I'm going to stick with it, or come back to this format, but for now enjoy:

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Finishing Strong and Final Reflections

Sorry about not updating for the past few weeks. Our final trip we were time-pressed and tired, so I didn't have much of a chance for blogging.

Quick amusing story about our final backpacking trip:
Our second day we were hiking in a spot where it was pretty much straight steep on both sides up and down, so not really a good chance for an escape route. As we were walking, I heard a rumbling sounds, like rocks falling. I looked up and at first thought a bear was running down the mountain to attack us. It actually turned out to be a cow BARREL ROLLING down the mountain, with its legs straight out. And it rolled for a long time.. I would have had enough time to get out my camera and video it if I hadn't been so shocked. Then he landed on the path stunned for a second and just walked right back up the mountain. I felt bad for him, but it was seriously one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

Our final week we had a good amount of worksite stuff to finish up, so we made a big checklist and put it on the wall in order to motivate ourselves to finish strong. I honestly was having doubts that we would finish it all, but through a lot of hard work, enthusiasm, and prayer we made it.

It was pretty hard to say goodbye to Montana. There were so many little kids at VBS that I had fallen in love with, and knowing that we were just leaving them here in their rough home situations was really rough on me. It was sad to leave a place that was my "home" for 6 weeks.

It was even harder to say goodbye when I left Chicago. I had to leave Steven, Beth and Abby, who I had become so close with while we all worked together. They motivated me to push myself and encouraged me in the rough moments. We shared so many good times and several harder times, and worked through everything together: worksites, backpacking, buying food weekly, car breakdowns, trials, memorizing Scripture. I also had to leave several of the other interns who I became close with through intern training and staff members at LeaderTreks whom I really admire. It was a hard plane ride home.

And then a week after I got home, I left once again to move back to Baylor. It's been hard transitioning back to the "real" world. I had such an amazing time this summer. I have never felt as invested in as I did this summer. I have never lived so intentionally. I was renewed spiritually. I learned what it looks like to sacrifice for Christ. But honestly it's been hard sacrificing myself back home with all the comforts and distractions. So I'm just going to have to constantly remind myself what God did IN and THROUGH me this summer, and I'll start by sharing the most important things I learned this summer:

- God is really really really really really really HUGE! And I can't understand that. I went through some doubting and some rough patches this summer because this fact really scared me for awhile. But now it's cool to think that He who rules the world is the only one big enough to take care of everything. And, I encourage you to listen to Louie Giglio's talk, "Indescribable." It rocked my world this summer.
- Being a disciple of Christ is HARD. It takes sacrifice and it's not always fun. Read about the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10:17-31 or about Counting the Cost in Luke 14:25-35. But it's oh-so-worth it. God wants us to experience life, and life to the full.. and being his disciple is the way to do that.
- Community is so important! They hold you accountable, provide encouragement and support, help you discern where the Spirit's leading, and it's just plain fun to have that solid group of people.
- Memorizing Scripture is life-changing. Romans 12:2 talks about being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and that renewal happens by soaking our hearts and minds in the Word. Scripture is living and breathing and constantly can guide us. As I memorized Scripture this summer, I saw my attitude and mindset improve dramatically. It really helps you to become more and more like Christ.
- Living life with a purpose, mission, and intentionality is so much cooler than just floating along aimlessly. When you set goals, you can achieve your dreams and can do really HUGE things for God when you're living with a mission mindset.

This summer was more impactful and life-changing than I could ever possibly describe. Thanks for following my journey and providing a lot of encouragement and support. If you want to hear more specifics about what I did this summer, let me know and we can get together and chat.

Never Underestimate a Champion

It's interesting how just when you've started to become comfortable with something, you get pushed out of your comfort zone once again. After a few times of teaching Growth Journal and Bible Study during our nightly Team Time, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on how to do it. After our last trip, it seemed like building those deeper relationships with students and taking advantage of teachable moments was getting easier. I had almost gotten to the point where a lot of the things I was doing were very mechanical, and not as challenging as they had been.

And then came Team #6. An all boys team. Eleven high school boys, out of which nine are entering freshman year. Talk about a radical shift from the juniors and seniors we had been working with the past two trips. My first Growth Journal this week was a struggle, as I didn't think to change it so this new group would be able to relate. Conversations were, and still are, a struggle. My mind doesn't always think of topics that are especially interesting to high school boys. It's hard to go deep with them, because a lot of times they don't even know what they're thinking. Motivating and challenging them has been quite a challenge in itself. They have been quick to make excuses and slow to take responsibility. They lack the drive we've seen in some of our older students.

BUT.. it's been good. One of the ten leadership principles we talk about at LeaderTreks is "Never Underestimate a Champion." It's kind of the idea that people can do more than we sometimes give them credit for, and that we shouldn't give up on them. And that's definitely beginning to happen with this team. I'm learning not to give up on people, and to pour encouragement and challenge into them in order to motivate them to their full potential. Over the past few days, our students have slowly begun to recognize that they haven't been doing things to the best of their ability. They've become more honest in admitting when something isn't going well. Last night was an incredible turning point for all of them. They realized that they only had one day left on the worksite and at VBS to make a difference, and they took that to heart. When I got up to help with breakfast, I noticed that all the guys were up and already working on one of our work projects... an HOUR before breakfast was even ready. We usually start work at 9, and they were out there at 6:20! They finally worked enthusiastically and completed the work by the time devos started at 8. I was so impressed and so proud of them. Later today, their VBS was a TON better than it had been the previous days, and it seemed like several of the little kids were impacted by the love they received from our students. It will be interesting to watch how they continue to grow the next 4 days as we backpack and as they each have a turn leading us and keeping us from getting lost and getting to the campsite on time.

Tomorrow is our third and final backpacking trip this summer. It's weird to think that after four hikes, I may never see this same trail again. I've gotten used to some of the trail and know it pretty well. And I love it. I'm going to have to soak it in a lot these next 4 days, because I will definitely miss it.

If you could, please pray for energy and protection as we are backpacking, and that we would all be able to enjoy God's beautiful creation and grow even closer to Him.

Distractions

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted! We've had quite a few things thrown our way the past two weeks, so I haven't had much of a chance for any updates.

Things are going well. We just finished with a group from Bloomington, IL. There were some great conversations that I was able to have with several of the girls and really encourage and challenge them. VBS was great and the kids who came were so cute. Work projects were a lot of fun: we poured a sidewalk for one of the churches we work with and then painted a shed, started building a playset, and did some weeding for the other church we work with. Backpacking went a lot better this time, which is an encouraging thought for our third and final wilderness adventure which starts in about 5 days. I'm loving my time out here. I absolutely love the other staff I'm working with and the students who come on the trips. It's sad to think that I only have two more teams and then I'm done. I wish it was longer.

As I stated above, we've encountered a few unexpected things in our time here.
- Getting kicked out of the library out of the blue meant Abby and I are now sleeping in the balcony of the gym. Not much privacy, to say the least.
- One day we couldn't turn on the lights in the gym, and when they finally came on we couldn't turn them off when it was time for bed = Abby and I slept in sunglasses that night.
- We couldn't get internet access until recently when we'd been expecting to have it for the whole summer.
- The sand and gravel we needed for concrete didn't get delivered when it was supposed to, so we had to put that project on hold.
- The night before backpacking we discovered that a good amount of our wilderness food had been stolen.
- Steven (trip leader) got randomly got pretty sick two days before backpacking.
- Beth (Steven's wife) was sick the next day.
- Our van started making really weird noises when Abby and I went into town to get some last minute supplies. We were 40 miles from "home" and had no cell phone service.
- One of the church's vans got stuck in mud, so the youth pastor, Abby and I had to try and push it out, then go look for help since it was just the three of us.
- Abby felt sick while backpacking and was not in good shape yesterday.
- We had to replace our brake pads in the van.
- Last night we discovered a group from the Native American Assembly will be staying in the school for several days. This was the first we had been informed of this.

The four of us have joked, saying to each other "Satan", every time something goes wrong. We even named one of the corners of our sidewalk "Satan's corner" because it took FOREVER to get the right way and things kept going wrong. But as much as we've joked about Satan being behind all of this, I think there's a lot of truth in it.

One of our leadership principles that we teach students is "Focus Precedes Success" and we talk about how when we're not focused on our goals and not that committed, then it's going to be a lot harder to achieve anything. One illustration that Abby and I used when we taught it was a Jenga game. We had one group really focused trying to build as high as possible while another group told them the wrong way to do things and just yelled general nonsense. The group that was supposed to be focused wasn't able to reach their goal because they got so off task by listening to those who were distracting.

We feel like a lot of these unexpected things that have happened are meant as distractions to keep us off our task of impacting this community and the students who come our way. It has been very tempting to give into frustration with each thing that has happened, but luckily we've been able to make it through by continually encouraging and supporting each other.

If you could be praying for us through this time, we would all really appreciate it. We are all worn down and trying to recover for our last two teams. It's been hard, but it's been good. There's nothing else I would have rather spent my summer doing.

Challenge and Growth

The Little Bighorn trail is a challenge. Hiking 18 miles and climbing 7000 feet in four days can be rough. It didn't help that I had just gotten over a cold. It didn't help that I was running on very little sleep. It didn't help that I barely knew anyone else on the trip.

But it was worth it.

Tuesday was our first day. The night before, as you can see in the previous post, I was pretty anxious and tired, but still excited. After driving to Big Horn National Park, we had to do some car shuffling. Usually when you hike you go in a circle back to your cars, but our trail was just straight up, so we had to take our cars to the trail end and then drive one back down to the trail start. I volunteered to drive up and down the mountain, which was quite the experience. I'm usually pretty timid about driving but it was a ton of fun and just to see all the sights along the road was awesome. Plus, there was a lot of snow left on the ground as we reached the top so that was really cool to see in the middle of summer. Once we got back to the bottom we started hiking. I was fine for awhile and enjoyed some conversations with the students. BUT, then we started the inclines. That killed me. My attiude shot down and I got really angry at God for placing me on the trip. He knew that I had a hard time hikinig last year. He knew that I had just been sick. He knew that I was exhausted. But he was still making me do the stupid hike. I think I even asked for death a few times. Melodramatic much? I know. Finally Beth (my trip leader's wife), really challenged me to rely on the Lord's strength and reminded me that I was placed here for a reason. She also told me to only think about today, and not about the fact that I am doing this hike two more times. She really motivated me to push forward and just helped so much. The rest of the day was fine. Got to the campsite, set up, enjoyed wilderness food.

Wednesday the team got off to a pretty slow start. We ended up leaving around 10:30, only after a huge herd of cattle came through. So we were stuck behind cattle for a lot of the day. Slow and smelly, such fun. Finally it looked like we were making some good progress. And then, it started raining and thundering and the lightning was going crazy. So we had to stop and take cover in some trees and got to stay in lightning position for awhile. Several of the students were pretty scared, so Abby (fellow intern) and I started singing some hymns and worship songs. That was pretty cool, singing about how God controls the lightning as the storm was raging around us. Finally the storm passed, and it was SO cold, so we decided to high tail it to the campsite. By this point my feet were getting pretty blistered and tired, so the HUGE hill we had to go up to get to the campsite was not looking very fun to me. But we finally made it. The campsite for the second day is absolutely AMAZING! There's a big mountain on one side with waterfalls coming down it, and then on the other side there's a ton of pine trees as far as you can see. It was so fun to be there and see those sights again.

Day three is typically known as the hardest day of the hike. It's a ton of incline, plus people are just worn out from the previous days. I had been dreading it since the day I found out I was going to be in Montana for the summer. Once again, it started out fine. We stopped way too early for lunch, but apart from that things went well and I had a lot of fun with the students I was near playing games and chatting. The sights were breathtaking and really motivated me to keep walking. However, as the day wore on my blisters started rubbing really badly and I was having trouble walking. The inclines took everything out of me, and I was just in a bad mood once again. Finally, one of the students took my tent from me which took away a ton of weight from my pack. That helped so much and I was so thankful for the student's willingness to serve me. We finally made it to the campsite and I had never been happier to sleep on the ground.

Day four (Friday), we hiked out. We had to take care of the car shuffling once again, so one of their adult leaders, and Abby and I hiked out early together. We left at 6 in the morning, expecting the hike to take 2 or 2 and 1/2 hours. We made it in less than an hour and a half. We were SO proud of ourselves. I really enjoyed hiking that early. The temperature was wonderful and it was a lot less stressful hiking with just three people instead of a team of 18. We got the cars all together and waited for 45 minutes before we finally heard cheering as the students ran to the trail end. It was really cool to see the smiles on their faces as they realized that they had finally made it to the end.

After that we drove to Billings and got to shower!! Yay!! Best shower of my life. Then enjoyed an awesome meal at Fudruckers. The best part of Friday night was our final team time. I had a really hard time connecting with these students. I came halfway through the trip, so I missed out on the first few days of getting to know them. They also were just really closed and you really had to push to get anything significant or remotely deep out of them. So I had been a little discouraged and just felt like I hadn't made any difference. However, during our encouragement circle where each student gets encouraged by two of their peers and one adult, I saw the walls break down. I have never seen so many high school boys cry before. Their tough exterior finally cracked and I felt like they were really touched by what they had experienced on the trip. To actually witness this was really powerful. It just reminded me that I should never give up hope on anybody. God may wait until the very end to work in their hearts, but I should never assume that they are incapable of being impacted. The students also demanded to encourage us as staff, and honestly I really needed that. I had felt like I was not needed on this trip and that I had made no impact, but the two students who encouraged me proved me otherwise, and I was really touched by that.

This past trip really taught me a lot about how I respond in situations and showed me a lot of areas in my life that I want to improve. And that's the beauty of challenge.. it spurs on growth and helps you become transformed into who God has designed you to be. As hard as it was, I do not regret what I was able to experience. I learned so much and I am confident that God is going to continue to challenge me in order to bring growth into my life.

Pray requests:
- Team #4 arrived this afternoon: transitioning into this team and being willing to get to know them.
- Rest and renewal
- Continued bonding between me, Steve, Beth and Abby
- God to work in HUGE ways on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation: many to turn from their false religion and be brought into the light of Christ

Thanks for bearing with this long post! I am so thankful for all of your support and prayers!

Transitions

Hey everyone!

So I am now up here in Montana. Got here Sunday afternoon after a short, but great time at home where I got to be a part of my best friend's wedding. So that was awesome.

The transition home was hard. I loved my time at the Navajo Nation and I really enjoyed working with the staff. While at home, I really missed the work and getting to know students and just how intentional each day was. But I was extremely thankful for the rest, especially with the nasty cold I came down with.

Because I missed the work so much, I just assumed that coming up here to Montana would be no problem. However, after only 4 hours of sleep, 2 flights, and a 2 hour drive, I was pretty tired. So jumping immediately into the trip without really knowing what was going on was really difficult. I just felt really lost the whole rest of the day. On top of that, I'm working with new staff so getting used to how they run trips compared to the last staff was really interesting.. but it's been so great just to experience different personalities and leadership styles.

I am enjoying my time in Montana so far. Love the staff, love the scenery. But, I am absolutely EXHAUSTED. Was running on 4 hours of sleep Sunday and got about 6 Sunday night. And we are about to head into the wilderness. This makes me a little nervous. Not only was I sick most of last week, but also I've hardly gotten any sleep. And the hiking just always takes so much energy. So I will be praying big time for the ability to make it through the hike. I am so so so excited to see the scenery again, but I'm still a little anxious about my current physical ability. So I'll definitely have to rely on God's strength.

I would appreciate it so much if you could be praying for me the next few days.
- Hiking Tuesday through Friday: need strength, energy, positive attitude
- Relationships with students: got a late start with this team since I came a few days after their trip started; just pray that God would work through the conversations and that I would be reminded that it's not about getting students to like me, it's about spurring them on to a passionate relationship with God and helping them discover their leadership abilities
- Bonding between me and the other LT staff: I already really like the other staff, but with everything that needs to be done I haven't been able to get to know them very well yet

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the rambling. It's pretty late and I still need to finish up some packing. Look for another update once we make it through the wilderness.

Time for an Update!

Hello!!

It feels like it's been forever since I left for Chicago, but at the same time I can't believe I'm already done with two trips. So much has happened in the past three weeks, and as I'm back home for a few days I thought you guys would enjoy a little update. (warning: I wrote A TON, because there was nothing I could possibly leave out)

The day after I arrived in Chicago, we drove to Baraboo, Wisconsin (Devil's Lake area) for some intern training. Talk about some intense, challenging, and encouraging times. I was reminded of the need for and beauty of community. As interns, we had to work through a ton of initiatives that tested our leadership styles and skills. It was really hard and frustrating at times, but the great bonding that happened between all of us was so great. It was truly amazing to see 11 different people from all over the country with different personalities and life stories come together as such a strong team because we were united in our purpose. What a picture of what the church should be like! We are all created differently, yet our purpose of glorifying Christ holds us (or should hold us) together as one body. It was so encouraging to be around a ton of people who passionately love God and are committed to doing anything for Him. The reason I most love being involved with LeaderTreks is the chance to work with some truly inspiring people. Another great thing about intern training is the honest evaluation we went through. I learned a ton about myself and both my strengths and weaknesses. And I seriously needed that. My eyes were opened to some areas in my life that I need to open up to God and let him improve.

One thing that I was extremely challenged by is how little time I have spent in the Word. The reason I have lost my focus so often and turned to worldly things is because I have not worked on storing up Scripture in my heart and letting it transform and renew my mind. Phil Krause, one of the LeaderTreks staff, has an incredible knowledge of Scripture; he can pull out a verse for pretty much any situation. He said that he works on memorizing one piece of Scripture every two weeks and that ever since he's started doing that he's noticed how much it has improved his life. That's what I want. I want to experience the transforming power of Scripture in my own life. So I have set a goal for this summer to memorize a different piece of Scripture for each trip, and to continue this once the summer ends. It's been really cool so far.

As staff, we all memorized Matthew 9:37-38 during intern training: "Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Then, my fellow intern, James Futrell, encouraged us as staff to memorize Scripture together during our time in Arizona.
The first week was Colossians 3:16-17: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Our second week was James 3:17: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

It has been awesome to have this Scripture in my heart as I've interacted with others. I have already started to notice some fruit from this, so it will be really cool to see how much more God works as I immerse myself in his Word.


We roadtripped from Chicago to Arizona... it was long, but a good time of bonding with my fellow staff. Once in Arizona we had to get all prepared for the students who were coming 2 days later. It was really interesting to see things from the intern side rather than the student side. I have loved being an intern so far. I love the chance to have meaningful conversations with the students I meet and to encourage them to reach for their potential. It's been hard at times to refrain from jumping in and showing them how to do things. I have to keep reminding myself that leadership is a process and that I had to go through that exact same process they are now experiencing and that I've grown so much from it. It's been really neat to watch students grow on the trips. As they are challenged, they really step up and take ownership. You can see the confidence build in them throughout the week, and they become more vulnerable and spiritually aware. Now, obviously, this doesn't happen with every student. But it is so encouraging to watch the students who do grow a ton. That's one of the most rewarding aspects of my work: seeing students realize that God has created them to fulfill his will in their own unique way, and that by resting on his power they can do GREAT things, even though they are young.

We got some good work accomplished. Painted the back patio area of the church, so it looks very nice now. Also painted the front steps and sidewalk with a sealant so that the rain wouldn't deteriorate it. Built a retaining wall around the basketball court because all the dirt has been running off and eroding, so we were able to do something to help them keep it from washing away. The kids in the Navajo Nation LOVE basketball, so that court is a huge ministry area for them. We also did some concrete pours to help with water runoff so that the sidewalks wouldn't get muddy and dangerous and so that the foundation wouldn't erode from runoff. Our final project the very last day on the worksite was to pour the foundation for a new church about 12 miles away from where we had been working. It was so physically intense.. we had to hand-mix over 50 batches of concrete in 4 hours, but we did it! It's truly amazing to know that thanks to some of our work, there will be a church soon in an area that is hugely unreached and broken and deeply in need of the Gospel message.

The two weeks of VBS were also very fun. Getting to know some really, really sweet little kids was so fun, and to watch their faces light up as they got in the vans to come was so heart-warming. A lot of them really don't have that much to entertain them. There are a lot of absent or abusive parents in this area, and SO much poverty. It really feels like you're in a different world out there. So a lot of these kids just want to get away from their houses for awhile, and we were able to provide them with a safe, fun escape where they got to be surrounded with Christ's love, which they may never experience at home.

Overall, my time in the Navajo Nation was extremely challenging and definitely stretched me. I'm still trying to process a lot of what God taught me and what he's just beginning to work on in me. I have a few days at home before my next trip, so I'm hoping to just get to spend some alone time and listen to the Lord for awhile.

I currently have a HUGE prayer request: My last day on the worksite, I started out with a cough that only intensified with the cement dust and sand flying everywhere, and I ended up losing my voice for the most part. I thought everything would improve once I got home, but I've felt really sick the past two days. Wedding festivities begin Thursday, and the wedding is Saturday, so I would really love to get well before that so I can fully enjoy it and participate in everything. Also, on Sunday I fly to Montana and we start hiking on Monday, so I would really love for my body to have a lot of rest and refreshment before all that starts. So if you could just pray for healing and renewal, I would really appreciate it. Thanks guys!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Well.. I am just about 14 hours away from departure to Chicago and feeling all sorts of emotion.

I am so excited to meet the other interns and staff and to reconnect with those I already know. I am grateful that I'm leaving the heat of Houston for some nice, cool weather in Chicago and Wisconsin. Even Arizona will be better than this humid heat. However, I am a little sad to be leaving my family and friends for pretty much the entire summer. I am going to miss my pillow and bed and the comforts of a lazy summer at home.

BUT.. I am so ready for the adventures of this summer. I don't feel prepared to be an intern. I don't feel old enough or wise enough or funny enough or spiritual enough...etc. And that is the great part. If I felt completely qualified and prepared for this summer, I don't think I would get anything out of it, but because I feel like I'm not qualified, I have a feeling God will be able to do some cool work in my heart. What could be better than that?

I do have a few prayer requests if you could take just a moment out of your day to lift up a quick prayer:
- Safe flight to Chicago
- Safe drive for everyone to training in Wisconsin
- Effective training: May 29th - June 2nd
- Bonding between all the staff and interns
- Safe drive from Chicago to Arizona (around June 4th or 5th)
- Energy, strength, preparation for me, trip leader Dave Williams, and intern James Futrell as we prepare for our first team to arrive June 6th
- Transformation to happen in the lives of both the staff and students we meet

I'll will try and update as often as possible! Thanks for the support.

5 minutes

Watch this video. Let it change your approach to life.

Next Five Minutes from David Platt on Vimeo.

#2, #11, #84 - Check

It has been quite awhile since I last wrote. So much has happened in this month, including the fact that my first year as a college student is completely done! It's weird but nice at the same time.

In that month several of my 101 in 1001 things have been accomplished, but I just haven't had time until now to blog about them.

#2: Attend a Baylor Baseball game

The last day of classes my friend Lyndi invited me to go to a baseball game with her and her roommate Julie. I thought it would be a great way to celebrate the end of class/beginning of finals. We played against UT and lost, but it was a good game nevertheless and I had a ton of fun. I have been so blessed with wonderful friends at Baylor.

#11: Find a church

After many, many months of searching I've finally picked a church that seems to be a great fit. It has been an interesting journey as I've visited Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, nondenominational, liturgical, and more in my search. I have come to a new appreciation of each person's method of worship, and have learned a lot more about what specifically I like in a church. Highland Baptist is the one I picked, and I'm so excited to get involved in a small group and serve team next year.

#84: Go to career counseling

I went to three sessions in order to complete my counseling. Through these sessions, I determined what I was looking for in a job, what my personality type was, what my strengths were, etc. By the time the final session came around I felt a lot more confident about what I want to do with my life. I want to either work for a non-profit organization or be a full-time missionary.. or something that combines the two in some way. I want to work with the lost and hurting. I want to help be part of the solution to some of the pain in the world. That is where my passion lies and I am happy that I've finally allowed myself to realize that. So I'm excited to see what opportunities God places in my life in these next few years!

Dancing with the Daffodils

I had the most beautiful drive back to Waco today. I can't even begin to describe the wonderful colors of the flowers, the fresh green of the grass and trees, or the crisp blue of the sky. So I will leave it up to Mr. Wordsworth to express the sentiments in my heart:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

-William Wordsworth, 1804

Christ is Risen!

A hymn for this Resurrection Sunday:

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

-Charles Wesley, 1739

#62 Check

#62 Visit the Mayborn

(See my 101 in 1001 list here)

The Mayborn Museum is on the edge of Baylor's campus, and I have been meaning to visit. My wonderful little sister was in town, and since the weather decided to be gross and rainy and cold, we decided to do something inside and go check it out.

Though I wouldn't say that the Mayborn is the most interesting museum in the world, Allie and I found plenty to amuse ourselves with. It was so fun to just be silly and hang out with my sister.

#73 - Check

Today I was able to cross off one of my 101 things.

#73 Volunteer at a soup kitchen

I went with my wonderful friend Claire Aufhammer (http://lifelovejustice.blogspot.com/) to the Salvation Army soup kitchen here in Waco.



Claire has started volunteering here every week, and I finally decided to check it out this week. It was such a cool experience. I didn't really do a ton of work, but I did pass out drinks and refills and did a little bit of cleanup at the end. Next time (yes next time), I'm going to try and actually serve the food.

This soup kitchen is such a cool place because of the guy who runs it, Stanley Goode, or "Red." He is hilarious and always cracking jokes, and you can tell he has such a heart for the homeless. And it seems that all the people who come eat regularly really like him. Even more amazing is how much work and service goes into this. This location serves lunch and dinner EVERY day, even holidays. That's 365 days of two good, full meals for the hungry in Waco. HOW INCREDIBLE!

I am DEFINITELY going to go back and serve. I just love doing something for other people, and I'm really looking forward to forming relationships with those who come as well as the others who serve there.

Claire and I


"Red" and Brittney Griner.. oh yeah.. did I forget to mention that she was volunteering there today too? So crazy!

101 in 1001

I have been inspired by several other friends to start my own "101 in 1001" list. The way this works is that I have made a list of 101 things I would like to do in the next 1001 days. Some of the things are simple, some are ridiculous. I doubt that I will be able to accomplish every single one of them, but I have to at least try. I know that I'm more likely to do things if I have a list that I can check off. Plus, I have you guys to keep me accountable.

So here is my list. If you would like to join in any of these adventures or help me out with something, I would love your participation!

Starting date: March 13, 2010
Ending date: December 9, 2012

1. Attend a Baylor Basketball game
2. Attend a Baylor Baseball game - Completed 4/30/10
3. Take some friends to Cedar Point/Ohio
4. Visit a new country
5. Visit a new continent
6. Do missions work in a new country/continent
7. Read all of C.S. Lewis’s books
8. Study abroad
9. Go skydiving
10. Go camping or backpacking with friends
11. Find a church - "Completed" - Highland Baptist Church
12. Join a small group
13. Cook dinner for my family
14. Buy a nice camera
15. Visit 7 states I’ve never been to
16. Take a long road trip with friends
17. Go skiing
18. Go waterskiing
19. Take an applied music/piano class at Baylor
20. Intern with a non-profit organization
21. Intern at a church again
22. Do at least one intramural event at Baylor
23. Run a mile without stopping
24. Submit an article to The Pulse
25. Volunteer consistently in Waco
26. Visit/Volunteer at Missionaries of Charity in Dallas
27. Live in a house with a group of friends at Baylor
28. Fly by myself
29. Serve alongside a full-time missionary for a month
30. Sponsor a child
31. Paint a canvas for my room
32. Take artsy photos
33. Enlarge artsy photos and hang in my room
34. Go to a Passion conference
35. Find a “grown-up” doctor and dentist I like
36. Donate blood
37. Make Dean’s List every semester
38. Go on a trip just with my sister
39. Nanny for a family
40. Learn a new recipe
41. Become fluent in Spanish
42. Attend Vertical Ministries consistently
43. Apply to grad school/seminary
44. Read the books of the Bible I’ve never read before
45. Memorize a book of the Bible
46. Spend a day in COMPLETE solitude
47. Read a book that’s not for my reading list
48. Go kayaking or canoeing
49. Spend a day taking pictures all around Waco
50. Learn how to play guitar well
51. Read a book of poetry
52. Write a letter to someone every week for 2 months
53. Fulfill my maid of honor duties :)
54. Post a blog review about a book I’ve read
55. Visit Eleni in Greece
56. Write a poem
57. Journal at least twice a week, every week for 3 months
58. Write a letter to myself to open when I graduate
59. See a drive-in movie
60. Sleep under the stars
61. Attend a play at Baylor
62. Visit the Mayborn - Completed 3/20/10
63. Go to Cameron Park Zoo
64. Learn how to use my telescope
65. Get a departmental scholarship
66. Become a Crane Scholar
67. Be invited to join Phi Beta Kappa
68. Lend money to a micro-financing group
69. Vote
70. Completely clean and organize my room/closet.. donate everything I don’t need
71. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
72. Take the GRE
73. Volunteer at a soup kitchen - Completed 3/17/10
74. Go to the Grand Canyon
75. Go to Yellowstone National Park
76. Go to Antarctica
77. Go on a cruise
78. Have a picnic
79. Translate an entire book of the Bible from Greek
80. Get up and watch the sun rise once a week for a month
81. Go to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
82. Wake up an hour early every day for a week to pray
83. Apply to/join BRH
84. Go to career counseling - Completed 4/29/10
85. Take dancing lessons
86. Visit Morgan in Alabama
87. Translate a book from Latin to English
88. Visit Claire and Brent at Texas State
89. See the Northern Lights
90. Stay in a hostel
91. Go backpacking through Europe
92. Visit an Eastern Orthodox Church
93. Attend a Roman Catholic Mass
94. Sing karaoke in public
95. Watch a foreign film
96. Get a massage
97. Buy TOMS
98. Call Bill once a month
99. Join a club at Baylor
100. Take a trip just with my mom
101. Ring by Spring…. (JUST KIDDING!)

The Beauty of Disappointment

For those of you who don't know, I'm interning this summer for LeaderTreks, a missions organization that is devoted to training students to be effective leaders. Check out their website to learn more. Also, join my Facebook group if you would like to support me this summer through prayer.

Anyways, I got my official site assignment yesterday. I will spend the first part of my internship in the Navajo Nation, fly back to Houston for my friend Claire's wedding, then spend the rest of my time in Montana. Honestly, I was disappointed at first. I have been to both those sites before and I was interested in going someplace new. Additionally, I had hoped not to be involved in a wilderness trip, but I got that thrown in as well. I vividly remember talking to my youth pastor about the different LT sites and I very determinedly told him I would never want to go back to the Navajo site. It wasn't that I had a bad trip. My team was wonderful, I learned a ton, and I know I grew through all of it. I just am not drawn to the site at all. I don't feel a particular burden for the Navajo people, and the hike was an enormous challenge for me this summer (if you want more on that story just let me know).

Montana is gorgeous and it is definitely the mission trip that changed my life and entire relationship with God. The hike was difficult, but not as bad as Navajo. But once again, I have never felt particularly called to the Cheyenne people. In fact, I was really, really hoping for a site in Latin America. I love that culture and I love being able to practice my Spanish. I knew, however, that with the wedding I was most likely going to be assigned state-side so that I could fly back and forth.

Since honesty is the best policy, you all get to know the truth: I had to take some time for myself so that I didn't get bitter about situations. My disappointment didn't last very long, but the fact that I even experienced a little of it left me feeling guilty. Who am I to question where God has placed me? How could I think that other events were "getting in the way" of my internship? Isn't everything working out to fulfill his plan?

After praying, journaling, and just spending some time in solitude, I can say with confidence that I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SUMMER!! I'm excited about the students that I will come in contact with, and the opportunity to encourage them. I'm thrilled to be working with other amazing staff members and just getting to share this whole summer experience with them. I'm so excited to see how God changes my life once again this summer. I'm looking forward to experiencing the amazing beauty of nature and seeing God's handprints throughout creation. AND.. I can't wait to see the amazing stars!!!

I have already been able to see God's hand in all of this. I have almost all the equipment that I will need this summer since I have been to these sites before. That will be a huge financial relief since I still have several plane tickets to purchase. Additionally, I have two good friends who really enjoy hiking, so I have people in my life who will be able to help me prepare. Finally, I just started reading Dante's Purgatorio for my Great Texts class and it's all about a climb to the top of the mountain of Purgatory in order to purge his soul of sin so he can be with God in paradise. Talk about inspiration!! I'll just pretend to be Dante while I climb... and maybe sing some Miley Cyrus... or not.

So, despite my initial disappointment (all triggered by selfishness), I am so excited about this summer and about where I will be. And I think this quick instance of disappointment will make this summer all the more memorable and incredible. I can't wait to see what happens!!

Pictures from Montana, Honduras, and the Navajo Nation

In the Light

I love DC Talk's song, "In the Light" which speaks of living life in the light of God, since he is the light. This imagery of light versus darkness can be found in 1 John 1:5-7: "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

I have always enjoyed the contrast of light and dark in relation to God and the world, but after writing a paper on Boethius I am even more enthralled by the imagery. I HIGHLY encourage you to read Boethius at some point.. he has so much truth to offer!


My paper explored a poem in Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy that heavily uses the imagery of light to explain that true happiness is only found in God. Reflected light represents the things of this world that appear to bring happiness to man, but in reality are only shadows of the true happiness found in God. One line states that the light of God is the "splendor that guides and moves the heavens." What a wonderful description! In the end, the poem shows that man must develop the ability to distinguish between the reflected light and the light of God. In my own life I need to recognize that though these things of the world can bring comfort and entertainment, ultimately I can never be fulfilled/happy (eudaimonia for all you Greek scholars) unless I recognize that knowledge of God brings that fulfillment to my life.

I don't know about you, but as for me, I want to be in the light.

Middle Ground

This is a good article for both evangelical conservatives and secular liberals to read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/opinion/28kristof.html