rockin' out with trey

Tuesday, July 18th 2006 was a good day. What made it a good one? Let me tell you. Chris and I headed to downtown Toronto to the Hummingbird Center to see TREY ANASTASIO in concert! He was so great! I loved every minute of it. I do admit that I was kicking myself afterwards for not going down to the front (or as close to it as possible) and simply standing infront of our row Z seats (which was not actually the very back surprisingly). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the show thoroughly from where we were.
It was a great sight to see hundreds of people dancing like there was no tomorrow as Trey, Mike and the Duo played onstage. The sights, the lights, the sounds, the smells, the people... it was all so good.
Chris and I talked about this postshow, but it took both of us a while to actually realize that we were actually seeing Trey live. We were in the same room. Woo! I had to remind myself every so often. I wasn't as awe-struck as I was when I saw U2 in September '05, but it was still pretty damn good.
They did a great cover of 'who are you' by the who. I'd say it was one of my favorite moments of the show along with the acustic guitar and banjo duet with Trey and Mike. But dont get me wrong, the whole show was my favorite moment.
So nothing too deep to say about the whole experience, but I just wanted to fill you all in on how good the show was.

surrounded in Christ

"love, it's about putting others first". it seems pretty straight forward, and everyone knows it, but i really needed to hear that (read that) today (thanks dave). it's a small saying, but profoundly huge. its something that we can easily say, but when it comes down to it we struggle so much with it.
what would the world look like if we were to practice this? how would relationships be strengthed and built up and purified if this is actually how we lived? i would say that the world would be a completely different place.
so how do we, we as christians, live this out in our lives? how do we practically do this? well i was thinking about it today, and we really need to first of all quit focusing on ourselves and focus completely on Christ. read the gospels. we need to read and learn how Christ lived and then copy that. keep reading, keep praying, continue to surround yourself with a community of people that love God. forget about what the world says. dont listen to it anymore. surround yourself in Christ and what he has for your life... for the lives around you.
this is how we change. this is how we stop living for ourselves and start living for God and for others. surround yourself with Christ. whatever that means to you. do it. start living it. i tell myself this everyday. sometimes i fail, but because of God's beautiful grace i get back up. keep pushing further and further in with Jesus. he has such greater plans than we have for ourselves. he knows whats good for us. lets start then, today, to live in Christ. it is when we do this that we will see change in ourselves, how we see ourselves and others. it is when we do this that we can truly (going back to my first point) love others. putting them and God first, before us.

I feel love...

Read these words (or listen to them if you have the CD). Inspiring words from a man that I hold in high respect. Be encouraged, be filled with hope.

I have a brother
When I'm a brother in need
I spend my whole time running
He spends his running after me

When I feel myself going down
I just call and he comes around
But for the first time
I feel love

My father is a rich man
He wears a rich man's cloak
Gave me the keys to his kingdom coming
Gave me a cup of gold

He said I have many mansions
And there are many rooms to see

For the first time

I feel love

~U2 - The First Time (only selected lyrics from the song seen above)

Mzungu Mzungu... take a picture!!

So for those of you (Dave, Pat and Chris) that have requested some pictures from Tanzania, here you go! I will get more up eventually, but this is a picture to start you off. This is of myself and two kids (dont remember their names) at the AIC church that we were working with. This was at a youth event that we held. The kids always wanted their pictures taken with us.

life

death. it's a word that a lot of us are afraid to say. when we use it, it's almost as if we look over our shoulder just to make sure it isn't creeping up on us ourselves. but as christians, as people who have eternal life with our heavenly father, there is no need for such fear. for we have life everlatsing. life full of joy and wonder because jesus came and loved us.
these thoughts come to me because of a death recently. not that i really knew the guy. i had never even talked to him before. but he was in my grade back in high school. its so weird to think that even though i had absolutly no relationship with this person (i even had to look his picture up in the year book to see who he was), i got a bit shooken up. why is this? i cant even tell. but because i started thinking about this today, i started thinking about life. we cant live our lives fearing death. that is simply a waste of time. we need to focus on life today. life that we have been given by our God. we need to celebrate it. love it. live it. it's a beautiful gift, we need to live it to the fullest. live life in honor and glory for God. make your life mean something. what do you want people to say about you when your gone? think about it. then start living it. find meaning and purpose for your life. find jesus. live the way he taught us to. dont life life by yourself. we were given family, friends, a community around us. live for community. live in community. may your life be a blessing to those around you. and allow the lives around you be a blessing to you.

been a while

Wow... it's been much too long before I've written one of these things. So many things have happened since i last wrote. What has happened?
- been to and from Tanzania. What an incredible experience that was. learning about living in community, serving others, have faith and complete trust in God, and learning that being in the sun with not a lot of water for a long period of time makes one very very sick... yuck.
- also, in august i will be heading off to OPC to be an LIT small group leader. really looking forward to that opportunity. a little nervous, but knowing that its going to be a good time of growth. please pray for me as i go to camp to serve.
So many other things have happened this summer. it's been a summer of surprises, change, and unexpected turns. but overall, its been amazing. loving life and having fun.