Hello friends,
I am completely aware of my absence from a blog that I gave so much of my attention to over the summer. Due to some unfortunate computer issues and the busy-
ness of life, I abandoned the world wide web. But I will resume a life of blogging from now on as regular as possible.
Catalina IslandAt the end of September, I had a sleepless weekend that left me more satisfied spiritually than physically yet a weekend that I won't forget. On Friday, I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain with a ton of Point
Loma Students as it was a big annual event for the school that a lot of students go to. I got back to Orange County around 2am and stayed in Newport Beach at my brother's house. I woke up at 4am where I jumped on a boat to Catalina Island where I would meet up with Trinity
Presbyterians High School Youth Group. We had a blast all weekend worshiping, playing games, eating good food, and exploring the beauty of the island.
I fell in love with this place.
Weekend Warriors
These are the friends I had the privilege to lead worship with all weekend
Boarding back to reality
I'm on a boat.
Kayaking, La Jolla Cove The next weekend, Allison and I rented kayaks from the RecRoom here at Point Loma, got some sushi for dinner, and headed for Shelter Island where we would take our tandem kayak for a dip in the bay to pull up next to Humphreys Hotel concert venue on the water. We watched the Beach Boys at night from our kayak for free! It was something I never thought was possible. The next day, I led worship at Las Flores Nazarene in Carlsbad where George Williamson usually leads.
Dodgers vs. Padres
On September 30th, my dad came down to San Diego and we experienced the Ocean Beach (OB) Farmers Market together. It's definitely a must do/see if you're here in diego. Then with my roommates Erik and Jeff and my dad and I, we went to Petco Park in Downtown SD to see the Padres play my Dodgers.
Weekend in Frisco
Later that week, on Friday Oct 2nd, my friends Goose, Jeff, Alyssa, and Allison joined me on the best road trip of our young adult lives. We explored the beauty/uniqueness/diversity of San Fransisco, CA. Our main motivation for making this trip happen was a Bluegrass Festival in the Golden Gate Park which to our surprise ending up hosting 80,000 people that weekend. We saw some incredible music, met some REALLY interesting people, and went on an adventure that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Leaving San Diego
Driving through the night (arriving in
frisco at 3am)
I knew a Nazarene pastor and his family who happened to live a block away from Golden Gate Park (where the festival was held) and they let us, almost strangers, sleep on their living room floor, eat their food, and play with their amazing kids. They are an incredible family and were a great representation of Christ's hospitality to us.
Thank you San Fransisco Transit System. Chasing after buses at midnight is one of my funniest memories of the weekend.
Hello Walgreens Security Man :)
Walking through Golden Gate Park
Goose & Rooster Stage
Okkervil River
My family drove separate and met us for the weekend also.
This man is the reason I drove 400 miles to attend a Bluegrass Festival, Dobro Dan Richardson. I hope nothing more than to be him when I grow up.
We're watching The Steve Miller Bluegrass Band with 30,000 others in a huge sunny canyon.
Dr. Dog absolutely rocking.
Goose and the dogs
Waiting at the bus stop
Every road trip to frisco needs this picture
Nothing beats salt water taffy at the Embarcadero
Finishing our weekend with Clam Chowder Bread Bowls at Pier 39.
"Best weekend of our lives" -Us
Balboa Park
On October 10th I visited Balboa Park for the first time with Allison and explored the Green House Gardens and Museum of Photography Arts. My main motivation for going to this museum was to fulfill a ART100 class requirement but I left feeling influenced and engaged to pursue photography more. Two photographers that caught my eye were: Sally Mann's "Tobacco Spit" and Don Bartletti "Highway Camp". Both are compelling and worth stepping into.
"Tobacco Spit"
"Highway Camp"
Mute Math @ HOB SD
The next day, Allison and I went downtown and found a Thai restaurant to fill us for one of the most compelling concerts any music lover would appreciate. We saw the band MuteMath at the House of Blues accompanied by As Tall As Lions. Such an amazing assortment of sounds, lights, emotions, and enjoyment were experienced that night. Walking downtown after the show was over felt like we were walking through a new world as we walked out of the basement, ears ringing and eyes dilating from the lights, forgetting where we were and at most not knowing where we had parked. What a night of music and good friends who we met up with to experience together.
Mute Math
Ventura Road Trip
To celebrate our midterms ending, my friends Goose, Jeff, Erik, Ben, and I road tripped up to Ventura where Goose is from (as well as dozens of others from Loma). We only drove up for a night as we had Friday Fall Break, but what a beautiful city Ventura is! I want to live there for a season of my life, really. In addition to our mini road trip, we went to the Little Italy Farmers Market near downtown, the (foggy) beach, made one of the BEST homemade dinners (with AMAZING pesto!), saw Where The Wild Things Are (which deserves a FULL blog of thoughts by itself), and had a Art Party. I painted a picture of a banjo with one string and wrote "LIVE Simply" on it.
Foggy Ventura.
Nothing better than being home.
-------------------------------------
I have to admit, the last two months have been some of the best in my life. I have experienced a taste of what life offers us in our youth and I think I've seen a part of what it looks like to explore
that which God has given us.
This prayer by Sir Francis Drake has not only spoken truth into my life in the last two months but has given me strength in the midst of processing what it means to be faithful to the One who made us.
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
amen.
Posts
