So its been a while since I last posted anything, and quite honestly its been insanely busy and I guess I havnt really noticed, sorry. I would imagine you are all kinda wondering what it is that Ive been up to since I last wrote, and I would love to fill you in, but I have to say that time is limited and I probably cant quite remember everything that has happened in the last month. So I will try to make do with what I can come up with and put down.
August 1st was my last night on the job in ‘my’ warehouse, it was a good job, lots of hours, good wage, lots of OT. But in reflection I would not ever suggest that anyone make their career in a warehouse. I know there are many people out there who ‘get by’ with whatever kind of work they can find and I dont mean to demean them by any stretch of the imagination, but there are then those who work in such positions for most of their adult life and end up never really doing anything. Anyway, I survived and it is just another one of those experiences that will enhance my resume and perhaps come in handy at some point in the future . . . never can be sure with that.
We then had another wedding this summer, no, not any other of my siblings, but rather one of my ‘cousins’. But only cousin in the sense that we are all really good friends and beings that they dont have any more then two actual cousins, we kinda adopted them.
It was awesome to be able to make it to his wedding. Ross is one of those guys I have really been blessed to have as my friend and indeed owe probably much of my sanity to, especially one particular semester.
Said wedding was about 6-7 hours West of ‘home’, so I was able to use it as kind of a jumping off point for my travels off to school this year. I was able to spend a few days in Colorado and see some great friends, one of which I had not seen in something like 5 years. So I had a really good time just catching up over a late lunch at Chipotle before taking off again and spending a few days helping pack up a family who is moving. Good times were had I think by all, and I am so glad everything worked out to be able to spend those days with them. I have several homes away from home, but I think I have to say that this one is by far my favorite, it is always heartwrenching to have to leave but God is good and so I always look forward to returning just one more time.
From CO I put in about 20 hours straight to get back to TMC on time, not quite all of that was driving, I think only about 16 hours was on the road. I did drive all night to avoid the desert heat during the middle of the day. Taking off again with my Chapel Media guys, we drove up to Fresno and then spent a day in Yosemite. It is stinking amazing!! I dont know what else can come to mind but the greatness of God when you see these huge walls of rock rising straight up from the vally floor. Thousands of feet of solid granite quite literally pushed up out of nothing, its insanely breathtaking.
Coming back we kinda had a day off, then we were prepping for SLS retreat. Retreat was good, very good. In hindsight it is kinda sad cause I know that this was most likely my last one and they are such a great time. But I guess thats kinda the way things go, one season of life here doing school, the next out in the world finding a job and all that jazz. Im ready for school to be done in the sense of being finished with classes, and yet at the same time leaving all my friends and the sense of belonging that I find here is quite downright depressing. I gotta leave and start over somewhere else, whether I go back to Nebraska or stay out here in California or end up in some other state, Im going to have to take the time to deprogram from school and reestablish all the normal connections due to be extended absence. But once again, God is good and as long as I rely on Him nothing will go wrong.
WOW (Week of Welcome) was a very busy week. I was placed in charge of most of the setups and teardowns, which was a big change, but it all went much better then some had worried it would, so again we see that there is nothing to worry about since it all is for the good in the end. Got to meet a handful of new students, make some great new friends, hang out with some insane kids . . . it was alot of fun. This was my fourth WOW, third as camera/setup dude, and it will be another thing I am going to really miss. Just being able to come back and work with some of my best friends is totally worth it, much less being able to meet alot of the new students before everyone moves back in and things really get super busy.
Bittersweet I guess is how I feel about alot of these things. Even depressed if I dwell on them, but rarely do I have time for that. I think some of the funk graduates fall into has to come from the whole transition to independence, freshmen starting college are still quite often in very close touch with home, drifting off a little at a time over the few years of school and then all of a sudden they are thrust out into the real world and have a very broken support network, a few friends here, a few there, but no one always there on the wing or in class to talk to when things get rough.
Rough is how some things have been since I got back. It took me nearly two weeks to unpack and get sorta moved in, work has been alright, but a few late night/early morning combinations that just suck the life from the very center of ones bones. Theres been a few nights, long after all my roomates were in bed, where I have broken down and cried. Once because someone remembered a conversation we had a long long time ago and brought me a stuffed puppy. Once because of frustrations over my academic progress. All in all, its not been that bad really, but sometimes its too much. God is good through it all though, I do have friends here who notice and care, and even lacking that He has never done anything less then the best for me.
I dont really have much else to say right now, Chapel Band has just finished rehearsal and so there are some good songs in my head now. I love my people, my God and where He has put me for the present. Praise God for His grace and mercy that is indeed new every morning!