Saturday Night Alive

It's late Saturday night. I am sitting at the Mill with Dane. The two of us spent a majority of the day at the hospital. My other roommate, Jacques, got an appendectomy after experiencing minor abdominal pain early this morning.

Since the time I woke up until now, somehow it has just been one of those days. I was glad to be with Jacques and Dane today, but tonight when I got home I was reminded of how the day began. I just tried to work on some homework. I can't focus really. I don't want to go out, I don't want to stay in. I’m hungry, but I don’t think I’ll eat. I just want to sleep but I don't want to go to bed.

I pretty sure I’ve spent a lot of my time being a little too anxious lately. I am worried about YoungLife, about school work, about money, about family, about graduating college. I am going home a week from today to be with Brianne for a week that should be the culmination of something that has proved to be one of the hardest things anyone I know has had to fight through. I can’t believe the things I have learned from her. Still, being states away makes my heart sad and, somehow, my head anxious.

It is funny the moods that we find ourselves in. I can honestly say that not a day goes bye without something happening that has the potential to entirely crush my spirit, and all too often I let it. I’ll allow the clouds of worry to dominate my thoughts and spend hours without really noticing anything; not other people, not a sunset, not something funny or beautiful—not even noticing that I am being controlled by some form of anxiety.

I missed some things today. I was worried about so many things that I wasn’t really there at the hospital with Jacques at times. Gosh, that’s so frustrating.

Now I find myself somberly wondering how I got to this place. And how God has managed to meet me here. I’ve missed so much and completely stopped looking for Him, but He has managed to softly and profoundly make Himself known. I am here. I feel warmth. I am listening to a song that meets my somber, contemplative disposition and reminds me that the answers are often much more simple than I make them.

Maybe this is life. Maybe there’s some sadness, some happiness, some frustration and somehow God meets us there. That He meets us wherever, and that’s being alive.

All Blacks All Done

Wow. The heavily favored New Zealand All Blacks were knocked out by the French underdogs. Jacques was scanning through BBC headlines and found "All Blacks Lose" as the main World headline for Asia. This was a big deal. Having spent a semester in New Zealand I understand how obsessed they are with this sport. It is really the most exceptional thing going for them. The article mentioned that 'children were inconsolable' and that adults were 'reduced to tears.' The article also mentioned that this was a national tragedy. A national tragedy? It is really awesome that the whole country rallies around one sport and one team, but it is a serious bummer when they lose. Good thing no one in the US cared about the World Baseball Classic--there's not telling how we may have reacted to a similar 'national tragedy.' Ouch, New Zealand.


Got to love that little smirk on the French guy's face. I bet he got punched by a pissed off Paul Bunyanesque Kiwi.

Sheer, Unadulterated Excitement

Another Saturday, another day inside Wild Joe’s watching the weather. This week it’s actually snowing—about three inches last night and still flying. Let the flakes fly I say!

Just two quick things:

First, Chris is a stud and he put up a bunch of my New Zealand pictures in a coffee shop in Oregon. I haven’t yet even gotten around to printing some of them off or framing them and he already has gotten them organized and displayed in a coffee shop. Thanks Chris.

Secondly, my good friend, the esteemed Cameron Garret Gue, has begun his soiree with songwriting and track killing and it is unbelievable. Undoubtedly the best guitar player and musician I know, Gue has expanded his repertoire and written some incredible songs. If I worked for Virgin Records I would have already signed him…twice. Love it. Check it out.

It's nice to think about photography and music for a while and be reminded that this world is an incredibly beautiful place.

That’s all for now. Back to the books. Much love.