Howdy there,
So it's been ages since I've last vlogged / blogged... I apologize for that. Life has been pretty hectic and a LOT has been going on these past few months. Stuff like work, finishing the Corps, and a wedding that has changed my life. But waking up at 3 in the morning due to jet lag gives you a little more time to spend writing things like these... So get comfortable, this one is gonna be a long one... Let me give a quick low-down as to where I've been the past few months...
(Mid-May)
I'm done with the Corps!! Me and these goofy guys and gal made it through the entire four years of it! Words cannot explain how awesome God is to give me the chance to know this group. I've learned so much these past four years, and I'd honestly say I've learned more from my buddies than from any college class, not to mention I found God thanks to a few of them. I'll miss them, living down the same hallway from them, and from the fellowship I gained in their presence, God bless you guys, all my success in college and the Corps was due to you guys...
Sometimes I wonder how we survived it all... Haha
(Late May-June)
I took off for Doha, Qatar to start my summer internship with the Security guys at Qatargas again. God really provided me with an amazing chance to get some work experience here. My two bosses are absolutely amazing guys, both ex-Canadian military guys, they create a work environment that I can learn in and have a ton of fun at the same time. I've been blessed in that fact as the other interns tend to struggle to find stuff to do during their time here... Anyways... They have me working on classifying the company's information into different categories of importance... It's pretty neat stuff!!
(July 8th - 9th)
Here is the kicker... The thing that has made this summer so amazing so far, and the experience that has really made this summer a real game changer in my life. I took a week off from my internship to head back home (The real home... Not my home away from home... :D ) for my buddy James Sebesta's wedding. A little background, he and his wife had been dating for years, throughout our time at Texas A&M, the Corps, and everything in between. She went to Oklahoma State, he goes to Texas A&M. Some of my favorite memories of the past four years are the long road trips around the state (football games, buddy trips, OCS pickups) with him talking about sports, the military, and most importantly, God. But the funny thing about all of these experiences is that they were always punctuated by calls to and from Sarah... He always made time for her, even when the buddies were around (and though we'd give him trouble for it, it's just a testimony to the bond they share.) So needless to say, with marriages the way they are these days, (ESPECIALLY among young adults my age) I was excited about this one. James was the reason I started going to church again, and through our bible study that he and Luke started, really start to pursue God like I should, and I was excited to see what a relationship founded on His word would look like.
So enter July 8th. The day before the wedding itself was spent rehearsing for the big event (Not to mention we practiced eating delicious food at the rehearsal dinner... I was particularly good at this part I felt...) I got to meet all of the bides mates and groomsmen responsible for supporting James and Sarah through this special day, and let me just say that it really was amazing for two reasons. James and Sarah really surround themselves with amazing people... Everyone there was so special for one reason or another, and getting to know the people I hadn't met yet (basically everyone not in the Corps or a sibling of James') was such a blessing. There were future teachers, soldiers (and Marines... There's a difference!! :D ), museum curators, financiers, nurses, engineers, musicians, missionaries, and great GREAT followers of Christ. It's so refreshing to see others my age ruthlessly pursuing God and His word. The fellowship and company I enjoyed there lifted my soul like very few things have in a good while. After an amazing dinner, all of the gents went back to James' house, where we proceeded to cram as many of us into a Jacuzzi (to the point where when we got out there was about a foot of water left in the poor thing) which we said we weren't going to talk about, but James' sister saw us and the gig was up! The night was filled with a varying caliber of conversation, but we had our share of deep conversations including one I had with Luke that really has changed my outlook on my future. I'll vlog more about that later... For the meantime I have to stay on track. We all finally hit the hay soon after vacating the pool area, excited about the next day.
A GREAT group of guys....
July 9th... The big day...
I don't think I've been so nervous in such a long time... And I wasn't even the one getting married... I have never been to a wedding before... So needless to say, other than the rehearsal I had no idea what I was doing or what it would be like... I just kept telling myself to keep from locking out my knees.... :D That being said, the wedding went without a hitch, and the reception afterwards was incredible. I've never had so much fun dancing or just socializing in general... It was a great wedding, and I'm still bummed that celebrations like that can't happen more often. God moved those two nights and days, and it was an honor to experience it like I had a chance to...
And now I'm here in Qatar again!!! two hours later it's time for me to get up for work... I didn't even get a chance to talk about the Bible verse I chose for today... Or my weekly goal for that matter.... I'll do my best to shoot of a vlog here pretty soon with the new camera.... I'm gonna go ahead and promise to get one off before this week is done... In the meantime God bless, and I hope all is well in your lives... God saves, and is eternally great!!
