growing older

So this past weekend I attended 7 open houses and the weekend before I went to 2. From attending these it made me think of how far I have come in the past 2 years. I have grown as a person and I think as a follwer of Christ and today thats what I am comparing.

2006:
In 2006 i was a senior at mason high and for the first year i played only two sports instead of the usual three. It gave me a sort of a calm feeling and a lot more free time to spend with my friends and what they were doing. In the fall, I went to a work weekend and then timberwolf which developed my relationship with Kacey. In the winter, basketball of course started and that is when Kacey and I also started dating. It was a rough year of basketball and probably the first and only time I have ever been able to say that. I was buried on the bench for being "too small" although in practices no one could really guard me. It was definitely tough dealing with that. I also took on more of a role in young life moving from a wyldlife junior leader to a young life junior leader. Which in the 1st semester of my senior year i loved. I was in a great place, I had God, athletics, friends, and a girl what more could a senior guy ask for. In the spring, however, is really when i got tested. We found out in february that indeed my dad would be headed over to iraq and we were just waiting on his departure date. We eventually found out it would be may 26th (my last day of high school). Building up to this date i was having a great year of tennis.... losing only 4 matches on my way to leagues and regionals. Leagues was so special to me because it was the last tournament my dad was able to see. Before heading into my championship match (about 9 hours into the day and 2 matches later dad there the whole time) i prayed hard for God to let me play my best for my dad one more time to make him proud. I started real slow losing the first set 6-1 and being down 2-5 in the second (okay so real slow may be an understatement) then my coach told me to play like i did my freshman year which is all lobs and blocking the ball back. i came back to win the match winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 and then that night cried in bed because I was able to win for my dad. Last day of school came around and i got up early and my dad made me french toast (only time he ever did that) we took a picture and then he was off and i wouldnt see him again until 2007. After he left i still had my graduation speech and an open house and college awaited. In regards to young life i was pretty much sick of it and was going because i felt i had to rather than wanting too. Over the summer on workcrew that quickly changed into me loving younglife and possibly wanting to do it for the rest of my life.

2008:
I am now a college junior (very scary to almost be in the real world). My dad is now home which i love and my relationship with him is so good which is something i have never been able to say. I have dinner once a week with my mom which is also so great. I no longer am with Kacey which has had mixed feelings since the break up but ultimately I feel content right now with where I am at. With that, a lot of stress has left and i just love life currently. There is a female interest and we will see where God takes that. As for my life in general it feels so completely different. I am now a jv basketball coach at east lansing for what will be the 2nd year this coming season. I have changed my major from accounting my freshman year to kinesiology. Which ultimately suits me so much more since i love sports and i love this coaching position. I am a young life leader at east lansing and i can't tell you how much i love doing that. Those kids there have taught me so much and brought so much joy in my life. Workcrew and being a leader has really showed me that Young Life is my passion and I hope to be doing this for a long time. My relationships with friends took hits this year with a lot of them being pretty ruined i must say. Although as i look at them now a lot of them have changed for the better. I think my overall attitude is a lot more laid-back. My relationship with God has endured a lot this year with the death of my grandma who taught me mostly everything about God and sadly the breakup with Kacey affected it also. I feel like the turn around of this year was when my friend Katie sat me down in shaw hall and really made me unleash everything. She sat and listened for probably an hour before she even said a word. Which to me was remarkable most people have to interject but not her. She listened and listened and then when i was done said what she wanted. That 3,4 or 5 hours, was i think what turned the year around. Before the talk i was a lost person trying to find things to do to keep my mind off my life. Now, i am tons of free time and i love it and it has made me back into that joyous person i once was. My relationship with God is not quite what it once was yet but i feel this wilderness trip with my guys will be the boost i need.

Overall i just feel so much more grown up although an el parent told me i look like im 15 and not 20 on sunday. I feel more wise in regards to life. I am excited as to where i am going to be in 2 more years and to be able to write this again. I pray i will know God more in that 2 years and that their will be some life changing relationships/conversations/experiences that will happen.

So heres to the next 2 years!