i'm back from my trip to the hill country of texas. i met up with my friends shane utley, dan neiderhofer, michael miller, and brad to talk about whitewater ranch and make plans for 2004. it was a great few days. we stayed in an incredible house in ingram and we got a lot done. i have no doubt that 2004 will be the best year of camp ever!

sunday was a packed day. after church i worked with the middle schoolers at a car wash. it was a little chilly for a car wash, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

i left the car wash to get ready for one of our high school events, the gathering, which was at 6 p.m. the gathering is a pot-luck style time of fellowship and worship. of course, i hadn't thought at all about what i was going to take to the gathering, so i immediately called my mom to pick her brain about what i could make in about an hour and a half. in classic over-achiever style, i decided on a couple of different things and rushed to the grocery store. to make a long story short, by 6 p.m. my kitchen was a wreck, i hadn't taken a shower, and my hotdog-cheese-crescent roll things were still in the oven. i've got to learn that it is ok to not do everything!

when i got to the gathering, 15 minutes late, i was blown away by all the stuff the students brought. i have to admit i was a little afraid that they were all going to bring chips and dip or something. but, they did an awesome job - just further proof that things would been just fine without my pizza rolls (which ended up being burned on the bottom and not that great anyway!).

this week has been full, but with great things or actually; great people. i'm surrounded by incredible people here in tulsa - students, co-workers, peers - i'm truly blessed.

also this week, i purchased a european outlet converter. i guess this means i'm really going to spain! it's only about a week and a half away now, but it really hasn't sunk in yet. i still have a lot to do to get ready... anyway, hopefully i'll be able to blog a little bit from spain and london and let you know how my trip is going! peace.