Riot On An Empty Street

it bugs me sometimes when i see how dependent i am on the things of this world. i expect food to be in my stomach at least 3 times a day, people to reply to my messages/texts, and that im going to have enough money to make it through the month ahead. ive spent the last two days with my dear friends travis henry martz and nicholas james fetner spending around two american dollars for each meal or even searching for food in dumpsters behind grocery stores in the middle of the night. we have reached all these food destinations via scooter, bicycle, or even walking on our own two feet. its so much more fun than driving.

ive been living at both of their houses during these adventures and we cant stop talking about living the simple way. the life of the simple way is the story of the struggle to love and to be loved. the most radical thing you can do is choose to love each other... again and again. next summer travis is riding his bike across the country to miami, FL where he will then fly to india to do whatever it is God is calling him to do. thats love.

Keep It Like A Secret

i am beginning to hate holidays more and more as the years go on. my parents always expect me to dress nice. you might be thinking that that shouldnt be too much to ask, BUT considering i dont own any shoes that dont have holes or stains on them, i wear only two different jeans, and i feel naked without a hoodie on...this might be tough. my first semester of college turned me into a dirty person. i wear clothes more than twice without washing them, socks dont seem to matter anymore, and my hair was washed about 3 times last semester. i kinda like this transformation actually. it means ive been spending a lot of time around a dear friend named carter williams. miss you right now buddy, but i know you wouldnt want to be anywhere else in the world than with your best friends in kansas for break.

my blog titles are some of my favorite albums of all time in case you were wondering. hopefully you like them, hopefully you hate them, hopefully i'll ride my bike across the country someday with the girl of my dreams, hopefully i never stop believing in neverland...

Commit This To Memory

its been a little over a week since i got home from college. im already sick of the hustle and bustle of living in the good ole county of orange. everybody is always on the go and its almost like they actually want to turn into an exact clone of LA county. traffic has gotten much worse, smog is more prevalent, and the snobs in their seven series beemers seem to be multiplying faster than ever. i grew to love the little residential town of la mirada while at Biola. the only things keeping me here in my hometown of SJC is my friends, my church, and my lack of money to live somewhere else with my some of my close buds. i guess i dont have it so bad. my parents still support every decision i make, my mom goes out of her way to buy pita bread and hummus without me asking, and my bike still takes me to uncharted territory when life begins to overwhelm me.

today i was thinking back to about the first week of september when i was hating school. a young lad came to the door of my dorm room to take a survey. he first asked me if i played a musical instrument, and i said, "yes sir, i play the guitar." then he asked me how many hours a week i played my musical instrument. i replied with, "about 14 hours." my roommate can vouch for me on that. he then asked me how many hours a week i study. i felt really bad because i started laughing when i thought of the answer in my head. i replied with, "about 4 hours a week." he looked at me awkwardly and then said, "thank you for your time." i couldnt tell if he was looking at me awkwardly because he studied more than that in elementry school or because i laughed really hard while i said it. anyways...i passed all my classes for those of you wondering.

Sing, But Keep Going

just finished my first semester of college. 1 down 7 more to go, or at least i hope so. a lot of things i experienced reminded me of high school, however other things showed me how much different it is living away from home. once again i have another chapter under my belt and i dont regret anything. sure, better decisions could have been made along the way (i.e. better study methods, better ways to prioritize my time), but overall i have learned so much and even though i have only been home for two nights i cant wait to do better in those areas next semester. BUT...in the mean time the next six weeks are going to be filled with fellowship, freedom, and fun. i cant wait go up to the mountains with my buds from home. i missed them so much over the last 4 months. you guys are so steezy. you know who you are. nobody ever asks me why i have so many bracelets on my wrists, and the truth is that each one represents a different friend from back home. even though i dont physically see you guys everyday, i see my bracelets and say a prayer for each one of you keep on keepin' on. never lose sight of the goal. God has given each of you specific talents, therefore use them to bring Him glory.

dont think i for a minute that i forgot my friends back at school. i have learned so much from you guys this semester. the first month of school was one of the hardest times in my life. each of you reached out a hand to pull me up in one way or another. im really going to miss all of you. again, you know who you are. see you soon, hopefully.