To Care?

The past week has sure been a whirlwind of emotions. Highs and lows like no other. The onset of these emotions I'll elaborate about in a following post.

Now this summer, I've been reading the works of author Rick Riordan. While re-reading the Percy Jackson series, there is a part in the series in which Annabeth tells Percy about how each and every demigod has a certain "fatal flaw". For her, it is hubris (or pride); whereas for Percy it's his undying loyalty to his friends. Going off of that, these past few days has had me wondering on one of these "flaws" I possess.

Care.

Yes, there is nothing wrong with caring for others. But is there a point of no return in which giving up on oneself is actually harmful to yourself? At the moment, I've re-addressed an old friendship and the caring has gone up for that person and to me it's just a tad weird because this would've never happened except due to the current circumstances. Friendships that are severed usually cease to exist and the mutual caring fizzles. However to me as much as I attempt to push away the broken friendship, I seem to not to let it go. There is my stubbornness emerging. Or in better terms my diligence, haha.

But even as I write, my answer to this "question" has been decided.

We, as children of God, are called to serve others. To care for the sick, elderly, sad, and to just be blunt all people. Friends and foes alike are deserving of love.

So do I keep caring?

Yes.

Lord willing I will not waver, not for you or anyone else. That's my calling and my best to do so is all my Heavenly Father is asking of me.

This won't be easy, but reader remember that there are millions of people out there in the same situation. And another million who are there who would urge you to continue.

Let's join those million and become the friend we all want to have. 

Dieting..... Really?

So one of my friends and her sister have been asking me to bake with them (yes you read that right, baking, now no judging until you've tried one of my baked goods). But back to the topic, the elder sister now has changed her mind. She states that though she loves baked goods, she is trying to eat healthy before her taper swim meet in August. Now I'm sure many of you are saying to yourselves "Good for her!" or "Way to go girl!". However I'm not thinking that whatsoever. I've seen this oh so many times in the swim world. People eat whatever they please for the bulk of the season, but come a month or two before the "big" meet, they attempt to wean themselves of sweets and other unhealthy foods. Sure it is indeed a great idea to eat healthier and all. But to totally revamp one's diet just for one weekend and then go right back to your usual habits, I personally think is dumb.

My philosophy on this subject is that, people shouldn't change just for one thing. But rather, change is meant to be lasting. So if you're going to eat healthy, keep eating healthy. It's not bad to eat sweets, just keep it in moderation. Like the saying goes "Too much of a good thing, isn't good."

I'll admit, I'm prone to just changing and then reverting back to habits. However I'm on the same road as all of you when it comes to becoming a better person. So take a step back, think about what you can do to become a better person altogether, and join the rest of humanity who wishes to vanquish their bad habits, demons, and poor lifestyles. 

The Great Outdoors

So this past weekend I had the pleasure of being a part of my friend's "man hiking trip" (his bachelor party). It included 9 guys and had us hiking on the Laurel Highland Hiking Trail. Now many of you know that I'm a fairly active person and love being outdoors. However this past weekend was the very first time I went camping. Surprising yes, but alas I've never had the time before/been around when my friends were on camping trips.

Now back to the trip. The weather was perfect, warm but a bit overcast with an occasional breeze. The climb was the usual western PA terrain. And being in Somerset of course most of it was uphill. However it felt great to be with a group of guys all chugging it out. We all mingled and kept in touch with the man of the hour and our main connection, Seth Zimmerman. Before we got to the area where we were gonna set up camp, we hiked a decent bit, played frisbee over the turnpike, and just goofed off while hiking. We then found a suitable location off the trail to set up camp and then preparations were set. A lovely dinner of kielbasa and cheesy noodles was made. And from there chit chat around the fire ensued.

So the next morning, the trip ended with breaking camp and then just a bit more hanging out before the guys parted ways to go back home. But to be honest the trip was something I desperately needed. I was away from civilization for a day, but being away helped me clear my head a bit and think about my life. It helped me focus on how amazing the Lord is and how I was able to see the beautiful creation around me. I know it all sounds a bit cliche, but in reality the trip help me realize things that I needed to realize. Along with that, Seth has been one that I look up to ever since I started college and he continues to be one of the most supportive friends I have. I cannot wait for his wedding at the end of this week and I hope the very best for him and soon-to-be wife.

Any of you reading this, I encourage you to find that place or activity that makes you realize how powerful the Lord is. Also remember that nothing can ever be achieved alone.


Relationships matter.
Just one of Seth's pieces of wisdom to me.