status quo

Ok, so I just really wanted to put my current thoughts and experiences out there.  To start with, this semester was the first time that I have ever moved out of my house.  Granted for the past year I might as well have been moved out, but I am officially moved out now.  I call the quaint blue ΑΓΩ house on Lindo Paseo home.  I moved into the quad to be more specific.  Moving out into the ΑΓΩ house had its ups and downs.  The downs have been a decrease in my academic performance [which is climbing slowly yet surely back up again.  I had a casualty along the way] and a strong inclination to sit around and do nothing all day because there is no need to leave the house to find something to do or people to be with.  The pluses have been I had a great transition from pledge to junior Active, I've saved money on gas, and I've gotten to be involved in numerous crazy shenanigans.  I think that the pluses far outweigh  the minuses.  

But the beginning of the semester wasn't all kicks and giggles.  Being in a new environment pushed me to try to fit in and as a result I tried to be someone who I wasn't.  I tried to invest and become close with everyone, which sounds cool.  But in reality that isn't how I function at all.  I thrive off of a small amount of extremely close relationships.  Any more than a small amount I begin to become weary and stretched thin.  But yeah, I was doing dumb things like trying to impress people, but it's 'aight now.  I have leveled out [finally] and have been myself for several weeks now.  

Now, there are 4 weeks left till the end of the semester and I need to seriously focus on the next year of my life.  This summer I will be working as a Team Staff Counselor at Indian Hills Camp [super stoked].  And right after that I will be taking a one-way flight to Stuttgart, Germany to study at the Universität Heidelberg for a whole year.  

I am going to talk about camp first.  Working a third year at camp that is right before I leave for a year and is for the first time ever unpaid is something that I have not received a whole lot of support from my father for.  I am working past that.  I trust God.  If He wants me to the be there, He will make a way [Does He want me there?  Have I been listening to God or my own selfish ambitions?  I don't know.].  But yeah, I am super duper excited for this summer.  It is going to be rad.  I am working for the first half of the summer with Jeff [Knight] and have an all star line-up of guys that are going to be in my tent.  As of right now I am going to be spending the whole summer with: Skipjack, Rooster, Goofy, Duck, and Rock.  I started jumping up and down with joy when I heard that [They are some of the greatest people I know].  Of course that is subject to change/be added to.  I can't wait to just pour into them and see how God speaks to me/tests me through them.  I know they will help me in my relationship with Him.  

As soon as the summer is over I am going to be the Best Man at my brother Matt's wedding.  I am so proud of him.  His life is evidence of the love of Jesus.  Him and his beautiful fiancee Carol are getting married September 7th.  

And shortly after that I am shipping off to Deutschland.  I just did several pages of paperwork for that today.  The whole program is going to cost probably about $20,000 all together.  Maybe a little more.  It is going to be a dream come true.  I have been studying German for 3 years in the hope that this would happen.  It is a beautiful country that has such a rich history.  I really don't have much information on it other than that I am going.  I am unbelievably excited and just a little trepidant.  I am trepidant that I will begin to compromise My relationship with my Father in heaven, which I hold so dear.  I have never not been surrounded by those who could keep me accountable.  But if I can't love Him on my own, what kind of relationship is it?  It is going to be amazing.