A few good friends

4:15am and I have been home for no more then 30min. Why am I up right now? I spent my night with two people on complete opposite ends of the friend spectrum. Both are two of my best friends in the world but have appeared at completely different times in my life.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans 12:10-11)

Me and Nick (with a green monkey)

Nick Lane: Possibly the funniest guy I know. If you go to the post that precedes this one, you will see his farewell song to the seniors of Cru. Very gifted, very smart and a great friend. I have known him since the spring of 2003 when we were on our high school lacrosse team. I can't begin to tell you the impact he has had on my life. When I first came to UMD, he was the only person I really knew well. During the first week of classes he invited me out to Cru. That invitation to Cru is where I started thinking about God, and while I give God all the glory for changing my heart towards Him, He placed Nick in my life for a reason which is all too clear to me three years later. At least one of the many thoughts in his head is about God. It could be a question, insight, a verse or just a random thought about how awesome God is. Our friendship is a long story but I have grown so much with the help of Nick and am so thankful for him.

Jo and I

This picture was taken at Big Break 10. Jo was placed in my car to drive to and from the conference everyday. I met Jo fall of 2009 but never really talked to her too much. We knew each other and could small talk like champs. This year we started hanging out more and started to become good friends. It was around winter this year where the person I thought she was, was shattered. She turned out to be cooler then I could have ever imagined. She is one of the most honest and open people I have ever met. She is extremely gracious, honest and always seeing the bright side of things. I love the conversations we have that go from nothing, to life, to God, to questions we have about God and so on. I don't even know how to explain our conversations because they are so much fun. She loves throwing God in the middle of a conversation and I love it. She is always happy, and it is contagious. I am so happy we have become friends, and am happy we have become close friends who aren't afraid to have real conversations form time to time.

When the three of us get together, it get to be a little ridiculous. Tonight, Nick was packing up his room so Jo and I came by around midnight to hangout and have some fun. Lots of laughs, reminiscing, sharing stories and talking about God. I love these two people. They have made this past year one of the most memorable in the past 22 years. I love you two and can't wait to see what God has in store for our lives.

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12)

The End is Just the Beginning

IT'S OVER! Finally finished with the semester and did pretty well (Thanks to God for answering my prayers for school all semester) considering the amount of work I had, and the amount of effort I put in. Sorry to the friends and family who's bubble I just burst because you thought I worked harder at school then I actually do. My finals schedule wasn't all that bad. Started Friday at 8am and 1:30pm. Saturday at 8am, and Monday at 10:30am. What was bad was the horrible virus my good friend Joanna and I got from the Penley's bible study cookout. Thursday morning we both got horribly sick and I laid in bed almost all day praying for sweet relief. Being sick really set me back on studying... but if you want the truth, it gave me a reason not to study even though if I had wanted to, I couldn't. It was bad. Just take my word for it.

Cru is also over for the year. It was a great year of growth for me and for the ministry. To make a long story short, we have been turning to God to help our ministry to be successful. All semester we have been discussing "what is the gospel?", and it has been great. Not only that, making some great new friends, growing closer with old friends, and having a new appreciation for the relationship God wants with us. With the end of the year we say goodbye to seniors and only Nick Lane could send them off in such a great way (and only Nick can procrastinate in such a way the night before his last exam)

Now with exams being over, its two weeks of pure bliss. Video games, reading, and watching hockey for the next two weeks. Then comes summer school. Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm for three weeks, but I will survive and make it to Australia.