Youth last night

Worship went really well last night.  I could have learned the songs a little better, but I think they still went well.  Ryan blew out the drums.  Like BAM.  Josh had another inhuman rampage on the guitar, and John rocked the keys and vocals.  This is the second week I've played with John, and I'm still working on developing a "synergy" with him, but I think it's coming along nicely.  I think that God is really developing my leading skills.  There is no way I could have been anywhere near where I am now a year ago.  He's doing it through me, and I'm glad He is, because I am completely, 100% certain that I don't have it on my own :)

That's about it.  God is good.  Recognize.

Cooking log, 06/23/2008

This is more or less me making notes about my cooking for how to improve it.  I won't be offended if you don't read :)

I made shepherd's pie again tonight.  This is the second time I've made it.  I used about half as much meat, but the same amount of onions and mixed vegetables.  Probably the same amount of beef bouillon, but a little bit more worcestershire sauce.  I think I used too much water again in cooking up the "flavor broth," but it was still much better than last time.  I pretty much need to cook two 3 lb. bags of red potatoes for the mashed potato topping.  I cooked most of one bag and it barely sufficed to cover the entire thing.  Overall I think it is much better this time.  Next time I need to use less water and more potatoes.

I'm back.

New update. I'm in better spirits than my last post, thankfully. I do miss my family and everything, but I've gotten my mind realigned and have gotten readapted to everything going on here, so yay.

This past week I feel like I've lived like a college student. My friend Ryan graduated in May and moved out here to come work for Wal-Mart. Almost every night this week we've been hanging out, going to movies, hanging out with friends, etc. I had to get myself plugged in by myself when I first moved out here, so I'm trying to help him out and get him plugged in here and minimize the "shock factor" that moving out on your own for the first time can bring. I believe my efforts thus far have been fruitful. He played drums with us tonight for youth and it was great. He easily blows away all of the fill-in drummers we've had in the past.

That's about all that's new that I have to report. Peace out.

After the New York Trip

The main thing I took back with me from New York is the feeling that I really miss my family, and if it were feasible, I'd drop everything here and move back to TN. I've been in what I believe is some sort of depressed state ever since I came back, and have had to fight off getting overly emotional a number of times.

I feel like I have next to nothing where I am now. Sure, I have great friends and a great church, and a great job, but I don't have family here, and that's one of the most important things in life. You can have family and go without the other three.

So if you read this, please pray for me, either that I develop a stronger sense of community in my church and with my friends, that God gives me a sense of comfort, that I find family here, or whatever.

New York Trip

I'm writing down as much as I can remember of my trip. I want to keep it fresh in my memory because I won't get to experience times like these for a very long time.

Day 1 (05/31)
I got all my luggage together that I had packed the previous night and stuck it in my car. Only two bags - one big one for clothes, etc. and the other a carry-on containing my Wii, my camera, and my computer. I packed my bags into my car and left for the airport around 7:30. I stopped by Sonic along the way and picked up a breakfast burrito and some coffee. I checked into the airport but they made me throw my coffee away. There wasn't an incredibly long wait between the check-in and boarding the plane. I read Mere Christianity and listened to some sermons while on the flight. I stopped off in Cincinnati and had a very similar experience. By 1:45 I was in Syracuse. I met up with Dad and Joel. We all went to Taco Bell and got Big Box meals. We went directly to Po Valley Chapel at Fort Drum, where Joel and Loren have their "The Crossing" ministry. Almost immediately we started practicing for the songs that night. Some people came, then we did worship, then Joel spoke, and the rest is a blur. I met a lot of people. We were there late.

Day 2 (06/01)
Got up around 7 or 8 am to go to church at Parkside Bible Church in Watertown (I think?). Joel and Josh (the worship leader the church) and some other people practiced for a while. They figured out their guitarist wasn't coming so I got pulled up to play. I was still kind of tired and lacking in coffee, but I made it through alright. After that we went to the PX (grocery store on base) and got lots of ingredients to make some fondue. We got home, and I laid down while Dad watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail while Mom, Joel, and Loren prepared the fondue ingredients. When all was ready, Ron and Julie came over and we had a big fondue cooking time. We then played some games I think. After that I goofed off on the computer, then went to bed.

Day 3 (06/02)
Got up around 9 or 10. After having breakfast, which I think was eggs and bacon, we left for Niagara Falls around 10:45 - 11:00. All five of us packed into Loren's car. It's not a small car, but it's not big, so it was a squeeze. We stopped by Starbucks and got coffee. We then completed the rest of the 4 hour drive and arrived in Ontario. Some Canadian tried to rip us off on a "tour package". We made it Niagara Falls. We ate lunch and fed seagulls. Spent a while walking along the riverside taking pictures, then taking pictures of the falls themselves. Joel chased Canadian geese. We went and walked through the gift shops, checked out the botanical gardens, then went to the really (sickeningly) "tourist-y" area of Niagara Falls. Here a Starbucks venti caramel macchiato cost $6.15, and a 20 oz. Coke cost $3.25. Screw that. We walked around a while and I started to get low on energy, so we ate pizza and wings and stuff at Boston's pizza. Then we got on a big ferris wheel to overlook the waterfall with the lights on them. Then we started the drive home. We stopped at one of New York's "gas station mini-malls." It's about two or three restaurants and a gift shop crammed into a building with gas pumps outside. After that we hit home then bed.

Day 4 (06/03)
Got up around 9 or 10. Had breakfast then goofed off for a while. Dad and I drove around Carthage and came across this place where an old mill had been. The Black River ran through it. I probably trespassed and got behind a fenced-off area and checked everything out and took pictures. Then we went to a small park where I saw either a beaver or groundhog. I'm not sure which. Then we drove out to some fishing places and tried fishing a bit. I caught about a 1.5 lb. Pike. We drove to another place and tried fishing but didn't have much luck. This place had a hiking trail that followed the Black River. Dad fished while I hiked down the trail a little ways and checked stuff out. Eventually I came to a place where the river was so low that I could walk out into the middle of it without getting wet. It seemed most of the water was pushed to one side of the entire riverbed. Dad came down that way and fished a little bit. I ran around and explored and took pictures. None of them turned out so great since the skies were overcast. We got back around 5:30 - 6 and cleaned up a bit. Ashley and another girl whose name I can't remember came over and we had turkey burgers on the grill. We played some Mario Kart Wii for a while.

Day 5 (06/04)
Got up, had french toast for breakfast (I think), then went to the thousand islands region, about a 45 minute drive. I got a touristy hoodie sweater since I forgot to bring something warm. We took a boat ride on the St. Lawrence river to see the houses built on the islands, hear some of the history of the place, etc. Got some pictures, but it was still overcast. Eventually we came back and visited Boldt Castle. We spent a while there checking out all of the rooms and hearing more about the history of the place. We checked out all of the little buildings on the island. Then we went to the Boldt Castle yacht house. After that we left and went to Stephano's, an Italian place. We saw a guy riding a unicycle on the way there. We had garlic knots at the restaurant. I had some sort of broccoli and chicken alfredo. We all ate a bunch of hot wings. We got home then pretty much took it easy the rest of the day.

Day 6 (06/05)
Got up and goofed off for a bit. Joel did a cookout for his army Bible study, so I went to that. After that, Joel, Dad and I went back to the Black River place again and fished. When we were done, we stopped by the P&C grocery store to pick up some salad fixings, and Joel and I made a big salad for dinner.

Day 7 (06/06)
Didn't really have any plans for today. Around 12 or 1, Joel, Dad and I went out fishing again. We went to a place called Indian Creek but didn't have much luck. Then we spent a while trying to find a way to get to Lake Bonaparte. Once we did, we found the lake shore was so shallow that we gave up and left. We went further down the road to a place called "Grand View Park." I don't remember the name of the town it was in. Joel and Dad fished while I walked around and took pictures and explored. Joel caught a bunch of tiny fish. When we were done there we went to the grocery store again and I got ingredients to make spaghetti. We got back and Joel took Loren to a doctor's appointment while I cooked.

Day 8 (06/07)
Mom and Dad found out the plane they had intended to leave on was too full, so Joel took them to the airport to catch an earlier flight out. I stayed at Joel and Loren's apartment and did stuff on the computer, practiced some songs for that night, and started packing my bags. When they got back, we headed to Po Valley Chapel to start getting stuff ready for The Crossing. We had another cookout, then played some worship then hung out a bit. We had an open mic going on, so I played and sang a number of songs I had stashed away in my head. Then we went home.

Day 9 (06/08)
Got up and had pierogies for breakfast. I loaded my bags into the car and we drove to Watertown to drop Joel's truck off at Home Depot so they could pick an air conditioner up on the way back. After that we drove to Syracuse. I left my phone in their car then checked into the airport, then realized I forgot my phone. Got on the plane and flew to Atlanta. Waited around there for about 4 hours, then got on the plane to get back to Northwest Arkansas. I arrived, got in my car, and drove to my apartment. I got back around 8:45 pm.