And this is the end....

Hey everyone.
So it's that point in the summer where I don't know if I am happy or sad. I mean, the whole part about where all my friends are leaving on Friday is not super cool, but I am so happy to get back home. I guess I just need to keep reminding myself that this isn't the end for us. I swear there is going to be a 2010 Colorado LT reunion in heaven and we are all gonna be there. However I am really happy to get home. There are tons of people back home that I haven't seen all summer and I really want to just hang out with everyone before school starts (which won't be possible, but I can try). Also, it's so cool to go back to a campus and be so epically inspired to get God to be famous. Every person I talk to here is so excited to get back to school and broadcast that awesome message of love to every single person we meet, which is totally amazing, mostly because you don't have to travel to foreign countries and risk your life, you can do it right in your own back yard, which is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I also have had a whole summer for God to totally rock my world and to point out some things that I need to hand over to Him and stop trying to handle myself, because honestly, God can take care of things way better than I ever could. It's just a matter of trust. Still have another day or so here, one more hike through old man mountain, a trip up to trail ridge to star gaze with some friends, one last day of work, a shuttle ride out to Denver and a flight to Detroit, lots of hugs, tears, and goodbyes, and I will be home.
-Go Green-
Sammy

How to hike CCY

So I hiked CCY today. It was a pretty crazy experience that my hiking group (Daniel, Kristin and I) broke down into three 10 step process in order to explain our CCY experience.

Finding the Trail Head
1) Start driving up Trail Ridge Road with your two hiking buddies looking for the turn off road
2) Unknowingly miss the road and drive to the top of Trail Ridge before realizing you missed the turn off
3) Start driving back down Trail Ridge looking for the trail head, but get sick and pull over and puke out of the car
4) Switch drivers
5) Continue down Trail Ridge
6) Find the turn off road
7) Drive up this scary steep narrow dirt road before finding the trail head
8) Finally pull over and get out of the car
9) Get all your hiking gear together
10) Pray for God's blessing on your hike (which has already been pretty crazy)

Hiking CCY
1) Follow the trail
2) Stop a few times to talk, have water, pray, journal, and take pictures
3) Finally get to Chapin
4) Hike to the top of Chapin and chill for a while
5) Hike down, then start the painfully long hike up Chiquita
6) Get to the top of Chiquita and celebrate
7) Turn around a see a storm coming in, put on some garbage bags and hide behind a rock for wind protection while you wait out the storm
8) Hike down Chiquita over toward Ypislon
9) Hike up Ypislon
10) Wait for Kristin to take a quick trip over to Fairchild (which she hiked in about 30 min there and back)

Getting back home
1) Start hiking down Ypsilon
2) Realize quickly that the rain has made all the rocks slippery
3) Fall a lot, twist both of your ankles while falling
4) Realize you don't really know where the trail back to the car is
5) Keep hiking over rocks in the general direction you think the trail might be
6) Look over and see more storm clouds
7) Get caught in a rain/hail storm, but keep hiking because it's getting dark and that means colder
8) Finally find the trail
9) Stop and pray, thanking God for a majorly insane adventure
10) Make it back to the car and drive back to the Y'


Quote of the Day: I want to pee on the continental divide so that my pee will be in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Galatians 2:20

Hey Everyone
So I know it's been a while since I updated, but here's what's been up lately, which has been some pretty amazing stuff.
First and most importantly, I got re-baptized on Tuesday night after LT, which was a totally amazing experience. Not only did I publicly dedicate my life to God, but I got to have it done by my two closest friends at LT, which was super amazing. I could not have asked for two better people, and Daniel's words before hand were so deep and meaningful! AH I LOVE IT!!!

I seriously can not look at this picture without feeling an overwhelming sense of not only love from God, but from those two amazing powerful people!! AH!!! IT'S SO EPIC!!!

Another awesome thing is actually not really all that awesome, but I have come to realize my LT story. I started off the summer with no idea what would happen and as the weeks went on, I started to realized 4 seemingly separate issues that I was struggling with when in reality they all string together to work together in solving my problem...and just as I figure out how they solve each other, I find out there is this whole other issue that will take a while to take care of, so its kinda like God taught me what he wants to learn at LT, then he gave be homework....grrr.....

Now it's the last week of LT services and I just finished the last LT 2010 service that I will have to make slides for which is sad and exciting at the same time. I really can't wait to get back home, but I don't want to leave all my friends. Can I do both at once? That would be awesome. Anyways, tonight is another late night of talking with Daniel and Kristin and on Thursday, the three of us are hiking CCY (Chapin, Chaquita, and Ypsilon), then I'm hiking Longs a week later!!

-Go Green-
Sammy

Down in the river to pray...

So Thursday night after LT...it was pretty much epically amazing. The meeting itself wasn't super special or anything, but afterwards, I got invited to join some friends to go out to a campfire hang out they were having in the nation park. So after a crazy drive around Estes Park, we finally got to a camp site and set up. We hung out for a while, I had a good chat with Daniel about some past things that are still bothering me, ate some s'mores, those who were of age partook in the provided beverages, then the best quote of the summer so far was Justin pulling out his guitar and saying "Someone hold my beer, it's time to worship Jesus". So for the next 4 or so hours we sat around a campfire and sang praises to God and prayed a lot. It was so awesome and such an amazing God moment that I can't even describe it. We even spent some time going around the circle and praying over each person there. Daniel said some really amazing things about me and I am so happy to have such an awesome brother in Christ. As a result of this late night adventure, I haven't been able to get "Down in the river to pray" out of my head. Such an amazing song. If you haven't heard it, check out this youtube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1FQqSGxBso

Also I am going to read Les Mis....the book...cause I went to Walmart today and we got into a long talk about it and now I really want to read it.

-Much Love and Go Green-
Sammy

this is so much fun.....this is so much fun.....this is so much fun....

Hey Everyone!!

So last night was pretty epic. First, I had an amazing dinner out with the craft center staff. Then I came back to the Y and went to the biggest dance party of the summer. A bunch of people were invited and we had a group of about 40 or so people there. We did some salsa and some kind of swing dancing and it was super fun. It was kind of cool because all this time spent dancing with Daniel, Kristin, and Amy made us the more well informed dancers so I got to walk around and help people which was super fun!! Then we ended up staying up late being silly playing ninja and the ha game and the "this is so much fun game" and some hand slappy games....and a bunch of other stuff. Some of the videos are hilarious!! Anyways, today was a pretty slow day. Made a present for Sean while I was at work and then refilled all of the sand art sand bottles. Now I'm working on some Graphic Design class homework and getting ready for MSU hang out night with the Moore family! It's gonna be totally awesome. Speaking of totally awesome, there is going to be a Very Potter Musical 2 coming out on youtube on i think the 22nd!! I CAN'T WAIT!!
-Go Green-
Sammy

Love could be so caffinated!!!

So project day today was awesome. Actually, the last few days have been pretty awesome. First of all, Monday was a great day because I got all of my slides stuff that afternoon, which is a record so far in LT. Then I worked on Tuesday, got back from work, had dinner, sat down and worked on the slides while talking to Sean. The talk it self wasn't that interesting, but after the talk, we had a four song set and as we were singing, I was really looking at the words. A lot of the songs were talking about things like giving up myself to give my life to God and I thought to myself that I have been happy with person I have become. Sure, I've had a lot of struggles and a lot of crap has happened in the last year or so, but all of that has led to this point in my life. I can honestly say I am happy with where I am right now. I love the fact that I even came to LT in the first place. I am absolutely thrilled that I have met so many amazing people, and even a few friends that I am sure I will be talking to for a long time!!! So why do I want to give that up to be closer to a God who has brought all of this to my life....I just don't get it...but not in an "I'm pissed off and frustrated way"...I just need to figure it out.

Anyways...on to project day. We went out to Boulder today and had a few hours of free time so a few of us went to Boulder Creek...which I think should be renamed Boulder Rapids, cause we went tubing down it and it was AMAZING!!! SO FUN!!! Then we went and had evangelism time. Matt and I ended up talking to this guy who had just finished a painting out on the street and after talking about art for a while, we talked to him about what he believed. Basically his belief system is that he believes in the good of people, but he doesn't believe in a God because according to him, a God wouldn't let someone who tried their best to be a good person go to hell. It was really interesting. The drive home was nice because it was just me, Megan, and Troy and we jammed dischords music the whole time.

Another thing I am really struggling with is missing Sean. Up until a few days ago, it was just a missing him in the "i just want to hang out with him, be in the same room with him, play cards and chess and talk and all that jazz" kind of way...but lately it's been more of a "i really want to kiss you" way, which I still find crazy that it took this long. But yeah, i really really miss him and I can't wait to see him when I get back. I just want that amazing feeling when he holds me, in that I'm never going to let you go way. Yeah...
Well now I'm having hang out time with Daniel while he does laundry so I'll update again soon.
-Go Green-
Sammy

Busy Busy Busy

Hey Everyone.
So I haven't been able to update for a while because I've been busy and I haven't really wanted to. Today, I went into work and found out that I had the day off. So I went and had breakfast, back to the dorm to take a shower, did some reading, grabbed some lunch and hiked eagle cliff. I feel really productive today. As for what I've been up to, I realized recently that as much as I love hanging out with Daniel and Kristin, sometimes I get a lot of stuff that I need to work on, and not many....or pretty much no "hey you are doing good in this area" so I've was pretty bummed on myself for a while until I talked to Sean and got a major motivation to keep pushing forward in this whole LT thing.
As far as the past week, my mom came to visit. We rode the zip line, hiked up lumpy ridge and hung out at the craft shop, as well as a couple of shopping trips so that was really fun.
One of the night this past week, the trio (Daniel, Kristin and I) went out to the outdoor chapel and hung out at the giant cross they have back there and had the most epic prayer time ever. It was super amazing. We had a group prayer out there and they each were really into it, and I was waiting for what I should add, something I should say, and all I could hear was "Be still and know that I am God". Just be still, listen to nature, listen to the sounds of the night, listen to the strong prayers of those who I am meant to learn so much from, just be still, be silent and wait. The best part was as soon as we finished, we looked up at the stars and we all swear they multiplied by like 50. It was awesome. The walk back was really creepy, mostly because we were talking about getting attacked by mountain lions the entire walk out there so it was pretty crazy. Nothing much else has been that exciting. Just enjoying my day off and hopefully getting some reading done and talking to some people. Right now, I'm off to put some Eagle Cliff pics on facebook. I totally had what I am calling a "Daniel Moment" on the way up. Just thinking about life and how it compares to a walk up Eagle Cliff.

Some notes I took after getting to the top:
1) Even though I might stray off the main the path, if I keep my eyes focused on the top (God), I will eventually be led back to the path that I should follow.
2) Sometimes the path will be unclear, but as long as I keep pushing toward the ultimate goal, the path will eventually become clear again.
3)God has placed people along the path for you. Some to take the journey with you, and others simply to point you in the right direction.
4) Even if you think you have reached the top, as you look around there are still more mountains to climb, more trials to face, but each one will bring you closer to God.

Also, I was listening to my iPod on random and I pulled out a quote from one song that summarized the whole trip.
"The body is weakened, but the faith is still strong."

Anyways, like I said earlier. Picture time!!!
-Go State-
Sammy