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.

That Choked Up Feeling

So tonight as I worshiped with countless other students at Grove City College's All Campus Worship, the worship team played the Hillsong song "With Everything". Now as the song went on the line "our earthly crowns and all our desires, we lay at your feet" stuck out to me. Maybe its because I just started reading the book Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney or perhaps it's because there are some things in life that I want to do but I'm being held back in hopes of something better.

But then near the end of the song there is this part on which everyone goes "woah....." and holds/keeps singing it for however long.
Choked up feeling experienced right there.

For the whole time that part was sung, all I heard in my head was my little brother when he sang this at our high school's youth group. I guess one could say that this feeling is the way I miss my brother. And hey you're probably right. Even though my brothers and I don't necessarily have the closest sibling relationships, I know that we all do love each other and at whatever time miss each other for one reason or another. Seems as though for Michael, music is what brings him up in my life. I guess this is just another humble plug for him, but you should check his voice out here.

As for those who've come this far in reading this short post.
Take these next few minutes and listen to this song [in a quiet place] and just think about all that is happening in your life. The good, the bad, the joyful, the sad.

Then try to answer the question, what exactly am I living for?

So I've been lazy in posting anything for the past several months. I hope to get in a swing of things once more. We'll see.

Excitement: As The End Draws Near, A New Beginning Arises

Three days from now my last conference championships will be underway. And in six days my competitive swimming career will be over.

Growing up I never did once think about when this was going to end. I just assumed I'd be swimming for the rest of my life (and I do plan to still), but as my last season draws near, a new beginning comes forth.

A beginning of a life that no longer has me swimming day in and day out. A life that I now must begin to live on my own after college. As well as a new chapter in my life concerning the realm of dating.

Don't get me wrong, I'm nervous for all this because who knows what's in store for me. But I'm also excited to see what is going to happen.

Thinking of the title for this post, it made me think of one mythical creature: the phoenix. For out of the ashes, new life is born. And thus out of the end of my swim career, rises a new chapter of my life.

I'm not entirely ready for what's going to happen, but I know whatever does happen I'll be watched over by my heavenly Father.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9.

Neverending: He Never Lets Go

So yesterday morning while conversing with a very good friend of mine, something came up that I felt I needed to put out here.

My friend told me how that they felt no difference on the days that they delved into Word of God and the days that they had skipped a daily reading. That friend felt frustrated by it and I can totally relate. Hearing this I attempted to console them, but when I started to do so I myself began to realize that such advice applies to me as well. Mainly because I struggle with the same situation day in and day out. Recently (as in this week) I've been good in reading (the little that I do), but I always end up putting more time in other things rather than my relationship with the Lord.

All that being said, it's ever so reassuring that no matter how much we fail at being in constant communication with the Lord, He will never let go us.

Before I end I'll make three points:
1. Go to the Lord in prayer, ask Him what to do when you're struggling.
2. Delve into the Word for answers.
3. Live out what you read.

All these are suggestions to help any of you since I feel these things have helped me as I struggle.

Father Time

So here we all are enjoying a lovely (and much needed) Thanksgiving break. But after break, the end of the semester is oh so close, and with that my senior year will be halfway done!

Yea holy smokes! It's a crazy thought in that I'll be finishing up my undergraduate education in just 6 months. Talking to friends, we all agree how fast time has gone by and how we can still think back to freshmen year and reminisce as if it was only yesterday. 

Since that time, three years ago, I've seen three classes graduate taking away friends and mentors from here to the real world, made countless memories with friends and colleagues, toiled for numerous hours on engineering homework, endured yard after yard in swimming pools, and learned lessons that helped shape who I am today.

Now as much as I love hearing people ask me "What are you gonna do when you graduate? What are your plans?" <insert sarcasm>, I very much have to remind myself not to look forward to what's going to happen. Banking on plans for the future, only prepares you for disappointment. Not that one shouldn't prepare for the future, but keep the result in the Lord's hands. Only He knows what's going to happen in your life, and by trusting Him it'll all work out. I'll admit it's hard. I struggle with this realization all the time, but I write about it to encourage the ones around me (and hopefully clear up that I fully know how hypocritical I am).

As the sands of time keep falling, keep in mind what I just mentioned.

Best of wishes to all of your futures.

And remember "Everything is gonna be alright" :-) 

Silence Is Golden?

So last week for a bit I was recovering my voice.

You probably would ask how in the world I lost my voice. Was it excess talking, yelling, me getting sick?
However when I first lost it, I felt just great and so basically I've told people that my voice just straight up and left me.

Well the lack of a voice has kept things quite interesting. While the only way to regain my voice meant not using it for periods of time. Therefore resorting to miming/charades which kept things oh so amusing.

I'm sure all of you have heard how you never know how much you need something until you lose it. Well the same goes for one's voice and well for me it stunk quite a bit. Granted I wasn't able to converse freely with people, it just limited most everyday actions revolving around talking (which we all do and happens all the time).

Now though unfortunate for myself, it proved hard for others when I was trying to tell people things. Some people were quite adept in interpreting my charading and reading my lips, while others were just completely awful it and a translator would've been most beneficial.

With my lack of speech it made me wonder why all of a sudden this would happen to me? What lesson am I supposed to glean from this experience? As one of my friends suggested perhaps God is trying to tell me something. So thinking about that I began to debate what I needed to get out of this situation. Thinking to myself I began to wonder am I becoming a person who just talks and talks and doesn't listen at all? I'd like to think that I have not but I can't really judge myself. But besides what I've come to take from this is that the Lord once again trying to enforce that He is in control and that He is always there. Just like in 1 Kings 19:11-12 when God appears to Elijah

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; ¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 

I felt that the Lord was reminding me of this and how easily distracted I become by my daily life. So once again a shift in my life is needed.

Well think thats it for this post. Hopefully I get around to a better posting schedule soon :-)

The Repercussions Of My Fall

Well today marks the 9 week mark from my little accident in mid July.

Lets break this down. 9 weeks = 63 days = 1512 hours = 90720 minutes.
To think I had to lay there for 15 minutes til I got someone's attention. That's nothing to all the time that has passed since!

Now if you've seen me in the past few weeks, many of you probably can't even tell that I dislocated my hip. All that is thanks to the grace of God. Ever since getting medically and physically cleared on August 31st I've been "slowly" getting back into the swing of my active lifestyle.

Yet there are many things that have come to be from my little spill. The most noticeable to me is the loss of leg muscle and flexibility. Then in the earlier weeks my movement was drastically limited but as time has progressed  movement has increased thankfully. Time has been my biggest ally at the moment since with each passing day my physical ailments lessen and my return to top form draws nearer.

However overall the physical repercussions are nothing compared to the things that affected me mentally and spiritually.

Patience. Now that is one of the major things I really struggled with during my idleness. The want to just quickly bounce back and be running around was eating away at me. However I knew for the best that I'd have to just take things slow which was just oh so awful. Yet I began to notice that my patience indeed become better with waiting, perhaps with people my patience wasn't getting better but that's a different story.

Humility. For years I've struggled with this but then with my accident God just happened to bring this all back to me. I was taken aback on how much the Lord takes care of me and how no matter what I do can I truly plan my life out. It is all thanks to Him that I'm still alive and writing this as well as healing in such a
quick fashion.

Mentally with this I've become stronger I want to say. Though at the same time I've been weakened. It'll be awhile that mental blocks will be passed, however determination and grit have become strengthened. My drive to achieve has increased and my wish to impact people in the most loving way has become another goal for me.

I began to realize that I was a living example of God's extended grace and love in how I'm here still on earth. Obviously I have a purpose to fulfill and am anxious to fulfill whatever for the Lord. I don't know what He has in store for me but I'm a prime example of a small miracle with only a dislocated hip and banged up rotator cuff.

There are probably more things that I could go on about, but the best way to probably find out about that would to just talk to me or ask. Who knows what else I'll learn from all this.
For in every situation a lesson is learned.