27-Jun-2005

Well, we got back from the hike at 21:30 MST last night. It was a long day.

These figures are as close as I know them to be.  I will post the official report when it comes out (I don't have a GPS unit, but the father who put the trip together had his). 

We got to Snowmass Village a little after  08:00 and had breakfast with the girls.  We packed up the luggage from the room, and repacked the gear we were going to hike with based on the weather.  I was carying a 25 lb. pack for the day.  When all was said and done, we got going some time around 10:00 or so and finished up the hike after 15:00.  We started at just over 9,000 foot elevation and stopped at the 10,200 foot hump.  The ski lift that was supposed to take us up to that point so we could hike the final 3,000 feet was closed for another week, and that first 1,000 was the hardest part of the climb that we had planned.  I was not ready for the near 45 degree land with loose rock that we chose to climb straight up rather than stay on the bike trails we started out on.  I'll be sore for the next week most likely.

All in all, it was a good hike, and though we didn't make the top, it was good exercise and I now have an idea of what to work on in prep for the next hike.  When my body recovers, I'm going to load up my pack with 30-40 lbs. of weight and walk for a few hours every couple of days.  The pack is great and I plan to keep it.  Also, my new hiking boots worked out perfectly, I don't have any blisters (even though I didn't have enough time to properly break them in). 

26-Jun-2005

Currently Listening
Feels Like Home
By Norah Jones
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18-Jun-2005

So I'm busy, sue me.  Actually, please don't.  I'm not exactly rich.  But God provides what I need, and I still get a little extra from time to time.

I finally did some real thinking while I was on the Ukraine trip.  This thing I was thinking about isn't anything new; I've known it all along.  After all, you don't just miss something like this.  But you can deny it and ignore it.  And that is what I've been doing my entire life.  But one night, I sat down to have a talk with my sister on that trip.  She is so great.  Here I thought I was going to be the one to help her out if she needed it, but after we got talking, the focus turned to me and my problem.  You see, I'm selfish.  I'm about as selfish as they come.  And it's nothing new.  That is why I won't date right now, and haven't ever dated.  I knew I had things I needed to work out first, but I didn't know what they were.  I just knew God was telling me to wait.  And that is hard because of this selfishness.

I can't help but thing about myself first.  But I've been working on that ever since I realized it, and staying with this large family this summer has been a big help.  You see, even if it is playing a game, it is realizing that I don't have to win for it to be fun.  The point is to play.  And when there are this many people around (the family has 11 member living under one roof, and I am number 12), I am learning that me and my time are not my own.  I live in relationship with everyone I come in contact with.  I have a responsibility to be an example to the younger members, and to help the parents and older siblings.  It's like having little brothers and sisters that I get to help at meals when the milk is too heavy, even though I really want a bite of my toast.  Sure, I don't want to spend an hour washing dishes for that many people, but I ate too, and when everyone else has their jobs, I need to do what I can to help.  Sure, I'd rather watch a DVD or chat with friends, but I can't always do what I want.  In fact, I need to be sure that I don't do that much at all, because there is always someone who could use a hand, no matter where I am.

This past semester I was "too busy" to help as many people with computer problems at school.  Ha, that's a joke.  I need to learn to be more focused and that I don't need to do as much for my own enjoyment.  Things that matter like staying in shape will continue this comming school year, but things that don't, like playing games online or watching TV must be kept to a minimum if done at all.  I need to find ways to get my focus off of myself and onto those who God has placed in my life and me in theirs.  I live in community, but I haven't done a very good job so far...

That's my prayer request.

10-Jun-2005

Currently Watching
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Special Extended DVD Edition)
By Elijah Wood
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5-Jun-2005

Currently Playing
Amazing Grace: Bagpipes & Drums of Scotland
By Various Artists
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4-Jun-2005

Currently Watching
Force 10 from Navarone
By Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Edward Fox, Franco Nero
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2-Jun-2005

Lets try this again.  I got on last night to blog, and never had time to finish what I was typing.  I'm gonna keep it short so I can cover all the bases.  Details to come.  Dana graduated May 7th from TNU (the semester is finally over).  She and I along with 19 other people from TNU left on the 9th for the Ukraine missions trip.  We did demolition and house visits and got to work with a children's home.  Flew back on the 20th (I was sick for the last half of the missions trip and the flight was no acception - I'll not go into details of how many bags I used... ok, you talked me into it.  It was 5).  Then I had a week and a half to get unpacked, sorted, and repacked to drive out to Denver.  I finally found a car (with a lot of help from Mom and Richard).  It is a 2002 Ford Taurus (with 93,000 miles on it after the 1200 mile drive out here).  I'm now in Denver staying with a family of 11.  It's so nice to play games with younger people.  I'm working at Computronix (computer stuff - info systems design).  That Info Tech degree is helping out more than I thought it would.  I'll be here till August 22nd when I drive back to Nashville.  Leave comments about what you want to hear more about...  More news later, I'm off to bed.