If only I lived like this...

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made- I'm a disciple of his. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till i drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me... my banner will be clear!"

-A note found verbatim in the office of a young Zimbabwe preacher after he was martyred for his faith in Christ Jesus

Conner's Visit

Conner came in last Thursday and stayed until Tuesday morning. We had a great time! He got to meet most of my friends, we did lots of fun activities, and ate a massive amount of junk food.

On Friday we went tubing down the Little River in Townsend, TN, just outside of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The water was absolutely FREEZING!!! I spent most of the time trying not to touch the water. There were a few areas of pretty good rapids, which was a lot of fun. We both really enjoyed it and it was nice and relaxing for the most part.

After that, we went camping with 5 of my friends in Elkmont Campground. That was also great fun. Conner and two others braved the approximately 50 degree water temperatures and swam in the river that runs along the campground. It took him over an hour to warm up after! We got to see a bear, which was my first since moving to Tennessee and took an easy hike up to a waterfall on Saturday morning...overall a very successful camping venture.

Sunday night we played disc golf, made cupcakes, worked out, watched a movie, and took quizzes on his iTouch. The quizzes were hilarious. The questions were things like: "Would you rather listen to music by eating CDs or see bands in concert by licking those in the concert around you?"

The movie was absolutely horrible. We rented "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage. It was creepy and pointless and it was a very good thing we lightened the mood with the quizzes before going to bed.

Making cupcakes was quite entertaining for all involved. It began with expired eggs, which, according to the Internet, are still good as long as they don't float in water. Problem solved. Cupcakes could be made. The egg dilemma also brought on a bet between Anne and Conner that it's impossible to break an egg with your bare hand by squeezing it. That's true, by the way. You should try it. Conner lost the bet.

Before going to play disc golf. The level of excitement is a little disproportionate in this photo.

Finally, this is Conner being the drill sergeant for Anne and I. You should see our muscles after this intense workout.

I wish I had more pictures, but I just forget to take them. Plus, some of them got deleted off the camera somehow.

Washington D.C. for the 4th

I got a chance to go up to Washington D.C. on the 4th with 3 friends. We went and stayed with another friend of ours for 3 nights and had a great time! We drove up after work Thursday, explored the city Friday, watched fireworks from the Capitol lawn on Saturday, and drove back on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but very worth it. It made me miss living up there! Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Mallory and I at the Lincoln Memorial.

Matt, me, Mallory, Joel, Clay, and Daniel with the Washington Monument in the background.

Daniel, me, Clay, Matt, and Joel at the Capitol Building. This was Friday and we got to watch some of the performers rehearse for the concert the next day. It was awesome because we were so close and hardly anyone else was there!

Different view of the Capitol.

The Washington Monument or "The Pencil" as we used to call it.

Waiting for the Metro on the 4th. Quite an experience.

Matt's sisters, Mallory, and me waiting for the Metro.

Waiting for the fireworks. I think we had 4 hours left right here.

Conner's in town right now. We went camping last night and had a fabulous time! I'll try to get some pics posted soon.

Preparing

This is called: "How to Shop When Your Younger Brother is Coming to Visit."



(Sorry Mom!)