hrm...i see i haven't blogged in a good long while. Well, got back from camp yesterday...dead tired, but it was totally worth it! Long before the school year was over I began to invite my friends to camp. I figured this is that last year I'd be able to do it. As time wore on and I received no encouraging responses, I was starting to feel a bit frantic and discouraged all at once. Before camp, I prayed so hard that my friend Jennifer would come. I'm not really a particularly persuasive person and my prayers became more fervent by the day. My attitude was less "help me convince" and more "let the come somehow someway cause I can't get them to no matter what I do or say." Looking back on it, I was relying totally on God to help me with it and not on myself as I realized I could not do it alone. God mightily answered my prayer when Jennifer decided to come just in time to register on the very last day. I was beside myself in sheer joy when she told me she would come. This year's eXtreme camp was indeed extreme in many ways. The speaker, Ryan Kwan was one of the best speakers I have ever encountered, mostly because he made everything so simple, so clear, so relavant, and so powerful. As each fun-filled, action-packed, and amazing day of camp went by I was amazed by what I learned, from workshops and Pastor Ryan's sermons. Jennifer seemed to be enjoying camp more or less, but with only a very vague idea of how she really felt about everything she was seeing, hearing, and experiencing for likely the first time I was feeling more and more anxious toward the end of camp. The last night we had campfire as usual, though this year there was no campfire. Instead we sat around the pool in our assigned small groups with candles. It was really cold at night next to the pool with the wind blowing, and I huddled in the chair as my jacket wasn't much help. Near the end, I heard someone get up to my left, where Theresa's small group was sitting. Naturally, I turned to see who it was, and after several seconds I was stunned to discover that it was Jennifer. For one, I don't recall any time where I've heard her use a microphone. Secondly, I don't believe I have ever seen her stand up and say anything in front of other people (then again i wasn't in debate). At any rate, I was totally upright and sitting on the edge of my chair by the time she'd reached the mic, not knowing what to expect. When she was thanking me and Theresa, all I could think was "praise God, thank God," because I'm certain I couldn't have done a thing without Him and His faithfulness in answering my prayers. As Jennifer went on to express her interest in becoming a christian, I felt a great wave of relief as I finally really heard from her heart and an overwhelming joy. She made her way back to her seat, and I could think of nothing to say or do except to embrace my best friend and sit next to her for the rest of the campfire. I hope that very soon she shall be my sister in Christ and anxiously await that day, for I can think of but a few things that could give me greater joy than that day. So for those of you who perservere in reading this very long post, I would like to share the most important thing I have learned from all of this. To depend wholly on God for everything, for we cannot even live to see the next sunrise without His providence. When we succeed and accomplish the goals we set for ourselves, we often forget that we need God everyday, every step of the way. In John15:5 Jesus says, "apart from me you can do nothing." I want to remember that and NEVER to forget it. I think remembering this experience and this verse will help me to fully depend on God and surrender my all to him each day, which I find so difficult sometimes. Finally, for those who, like me, still have unsaved friends, surrender to God, pray fervently to Him that He will work in their hearts so that if they are unwilling to even listen to the gospel now that they will open up to it, if they are open to the gosel that they would hear and be interested to learn more about the Lord, if they are interested let them even more and believe the truth of Jesus' sacrifice. No matter how opposed to christianity your friend may seem, realize that you cannot do it on your own, only God can change people's hearts. Submit to God and pray persistently to Him. Live your life in a way that reflects Jesus in your life. Then simply wait faithfully. Wait faithfully for God's timing whenever it might be.

While in Vegas with my family...
I was walking next to my cousin, the youngest of the ones there (he's 15). As we pass by a building, a lady in a white shirt whose intent still eludes me says, "Hi! Where are you from?" Still walking past her, we say we're from houston. Then she proceeds to ask, "Are you married?" .......right.....we said no. After a we'd walked a short distance away from the lady, my cousin said, "I really wanted to turn around and tell her, i'm 15 and that's my cousin." hmmmmm.....vegas is a weird place, but it has really nice hotels and buffets and pools, not to mention awesome shows like Cirque de Soleil and Blue Man Group, both of which i highly recommend by the way....so that's it for now....i need a nice cool shower and a nice long nap.... :)

heh....as you can see...have been toooooooo lazy to update blog....dunno how ya do it bea...and oph...well...i've been playing guitar....for a while this morning...my fingers really hurt now....wanna keep practicing this cool song...but i don't think my fingers can take any more of this barring.... :P ah well....must take a break then. man...all the senior/grad events have been sooooooooooooo awesome! prom (hmmm...never did blog that...) prograd (sore necks & scrapes) hanging out with all of you (good memories....so much fun and craziness!) kemah trip (the guys are soooo wacky!) grad night (non-seniors, esp gloria did a GREAT job...thanks sooooo much!) and next...POOL PARTY!!!!!! whooooo :) see everyone there! man i'm gonna miss you crazy people!