LTC 2012

Came back from Leadership Training Conference (aka LTC) yesterday and am always amazed at how memorable the week can be. Did a short video update on the last day and you can watch it:

It was good being back at LTC once again after being in Australia the last couple of years. It's always good to see the passion of college students coming together in this conference. Our campus (UW) were well represented with 10 students, and including 3 staff we were a sizable presence. Of all the things that I was involved with (EDventures in Discipleship videos, and MCing) just getting to know the Udub students was the highlight. God certainly is shaping and molding them and drawing them closer to His Spirit. Next year is going to be AWESOME!

Complete Devotion

Maria Sharapova winning the French open and completing a career Grand Slam is a feel good story. I remember her when she became a big star as a teenager after winning Wimbledon. Seemed like she had everything going for her. She had the looks and modeling opportunities that come with being a good looking athlete. She was on covers of magazines and even won on the court (unlike a certain once famous tennis player). But then in 2008 after struggling with a shoulder problem it was thought that her tennis career was over. The injury was one that would be hard to comeback from. At this point of her story she could've decided to call it quits. She already had some major accomplishments on the court and could've lived off her stardom and beauty (doing modeling) for years to come. If her drive was to live a happy life then maybe this could've been her choice. But her devotion was to Tennis. Not stardom. Not acheiving monetary success. Not being respected by others. Insightful quote from Sharapova after winning this weekend:

But when your love for something is bigger than all those things, you continue to keep getting up in the morning when it's freezing outside, when you know that it can be the most difficult day, when nothing is working, when you feel like the belief sometimes isn't there from the outside world, and you seem so small. But you can achieve great things when you don't listen to all those things.

The most important thing in her life was Tennis. Nothing else mattered for her. If it meant doing the hard work rehabbing everyday then that's what it would take. Tennis encompassed her whole life. I thought it was interesting that she took private lessons to learn some French for a few months leading up to the French Open in the possibility that she might win and be able to speak to the crowd. That's complete devotion. The question is do I have the same drive and determination for God. Do I go the extra mile? Do I spend each day focused on what I can be doing to glorify Him? If Sharapova's devotion to tennis motivated her to comeback from a serious shoulder injury then what could my devotion to God motivate me to do?

Story in Dance

When I was young I used to think dance was boring. I didn't know how to dance and didn't understand especially performance dance. But I've come around. This piece performed on, I believe, Czech's Got Talent by Atai Omurzakov was everything good about dance. Yes it was quite amazing to see his precise robotic movements. Even the walking thing was on point. But the telling of the story is what made this awesome. Coming from the movie WALL-E it told of a story where a robot is moved by a simple flower. An inspirational but sad tale. Great choice in music as well. Kind of a remixed version of Yann Tiersen's Comptine D'un Autre Ete L'apres. Seriously this is one of the best dance videos on youtube. Gots to be just as good as this one: I could probably watch these videos over and over again.

The End is just The Beginning

This week was our last week of the school year and we finished off with our annual Senior Sendoff. A fun night with the theme of dressing up as a childhood tv character. I dressed up as Clark Kent with a Superman shirt underneath.

Reflecting on the school year there is so much to be thankful of and to look forward to for the next year. It was a year of learning and growing together, both just me being on staff and the students on leadership. The best is yet to come! I think one of the biggest things that we’ve been able to foster is the idea that we are building each other up and developing real loving relationships. And we hope to continue that. It really feels like the start of something great. Up next? Leadership Training Conference from June 17-22 in California. Staff will be heading down on the 15th so please keep us in your prayers. Thank you again for all your support!