Extra Dimension

I'm 19 years old, don't have a job, am going to college and still trying to figure out what God wants me to do, and already I'm trying to plan out my next year when I am not even halfway through this one. Yesterday I heard a pretty awesome sermon on money at Midtown Fellowship. Now don't get me wrong I'm totally content with where God has me, I'm in a situation where I can do just fine without a job and I'm blessed to be able to live the life God has given me. But as I was hearing about money I was wishing I had more to offer to God and other people. Then I started making scenarios in my head like "well if I get a job when I come back then I'll be able to give a 10% tithe and help out people who I know need help." But then this added a whole new thought process.

Well, if I have a job then I won't be able to manage school, social life, church, and job that's just too much. And I start to freak out and get stressed and wonder how in the world I am going to be able to handle it because I do know that I probably need to get a job once school starts back, for various reasons.

This morning though as I continue to read through Mark Batterson's In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day I read something that was pretty awesome. Batterson talks about how God is like a parenthesis on our lives. Meaning that he is with us in the things that we are a part of but also just before us and right after us where we can't physically be. He then talks about how God has dimensions to him that we can't even comprehend which is why a day to God can be like thousands of years or thousands of year can be like a day. There are things in this world that to us seem completely impossible to accomplish. But after reading this morning I think that is where we have to just trust God to show up. It's like if we were stuck in a 2D comic strip and were limited just left or right. It would be all that we know and then imagine if we had 3D capabilities, we would be able to jump out of our 2D comic strips and so some amazing things.

What I'm saying here is that all I know is stuck in the world that I am living in. Just things Andrew Stewart, but God knows it all and then some. So if I rely on him then I'm not going to understand how God does things, but I will be able to see some amazing things happen.

Panameño Extremo

Through the yearly ski trips and Chi Alpha '06, I developed a nickname that has proven to be more like myself than I could ever have imagined. Panameño Extremo tends to shine through my personna from time to time without any warning. Yesterday was one of those days.

In honor of Matt Mays's Birthday several of his loyal companions headed over to Prosperity, South Carolina to leave our mark on Lake Murray. The adventure was simple... Tube Wars. It was a deathmatch of 2 vs. 2 on single rider tubes. Rob Watson and myself commandeered one tube whilst Clint Spence and Trey Bostic were our counterparts on the other tube. Philip Mays was our fearless navigator who showed no mercy on the throttle.

Rob and I started off on the wussier tube, but held our ground long enough to cause a collision that forced both of us off of the tubes and then we took over the nicer tube. We did a few more runs in which Rob and I stayed on like true men, but then came the big daddy of them all.

We went over a huge wake and Rob was bobbing on my back with every bump, and then before we knew it, we were swung out of the wake and into unknown terrain. Then Philip swung us right into Clint and Trey and our tube completely turned over and Rob fell off. This is where my extreme nature took over. I was literally hanging on to the tube upside down trying to complete a barrel roll. It was about one of the funnest feelings I've ever had. I was skimming on the water and the tube was holding on to me for dear life. Unfortunately it was a little too difficult to turn it all the way over, but it is needless to say that any other human being would have shown so much mastery over the tube and the elements.

I love the lake.

Tall Duck and Handsome

Tall, Duck, and Handsome was written on the front of quite possibly one of the most awesome shirts I have ever encountered. Yesterday Michael Heaton and myself made a day trip up to Possum Kingdom, South Carolina to visit our friend Paige from USC. She took us around and over to Greenville where we went to an awesome vintage store. It was there that I found that shirt but for some reason I didn't buy it and now I am regretting it.

It was a very fun trip and I am realizing how much I like to just drive somewhere with no real plan and just hang out and talk and have a good time. Greenville is a pretty nice city I must say and I was reconnected with Bellacino's which strangely enough I haven't had in over year and there is one here in Lexington. PIZZA GRINDERS are the best things ever!

As another update on Africa today is the last day to get money in and I have it all paid for I am just waiting on them to update the website and see who may be in need of money and see if I can help them out. The next step is to make sure my passport is gonna get here in time and then get to a goodwill and stock up on clothes. I'm getting very excited and anxious but I also am just enjoying the summer for now.

BigStuf is coming up the 24th and I am stoked.

But for now I'm off to Groucho's.

75th post way after Rachel

Ah so I too have made it to the glory that is 75. And it's quite ironic because yesterday I caught up on many blogs that I haven't been able to read on my 2 week vacation and Rachel Olshine's 75th post was one of them and we talked on the phone since I am now IN.

So let's see what has gone on?

• Orlando taught me that even though you may not see people for long periods of time (especially family), you can still have awesome loving relationships with those people. Me and my dad and family had a blast and it's been about 3 years since I've seen all of them.
  
• Being "IN" actually does feel good, we have the sweet new plan where I can do umlimited messaging and I've been taking advantage of that so if you have verizon, which a million people do, then be on the lookout.
• A break from everything may seem impossible but once you get it, God really does replenish you and make problems that you thought were too big, seem like child's play.
• Rampage World Tour is a never ending video game that gets old after the first 3 levels.
• Guitar Hero is still the love of my life and I am determined to beat Free Bird on Expert.
• Spending time with Clint and Gretchen last week at the beach was just way too much fun, and I never knew that I would like mobile homes as much as I did but they can be very cozy when done right.
• I've realized to non-christians sometimes the very practical things in our lives can seem like very radical things to them. It's something that I think we should be on the lookout for. I mean the tiniest things we believe, say, or do can really blow others away when they come to the first realization of who God is.
• I love People so much!!!!
• Who would have thought that God would provide more money than I need to go to Africa!!! I'm so stoked and hopefully I will have a chance to help provide for some of the other people who might come up short.

It's been an awesome two weeks and I am so stoked about what God continues to do each and every day. I hope this was a good way to make my return to the blog world.

The Kraken Ate My Cell Phone

I kid you not ladies and gentlemen, the Kraken himself has devoured my free cell phone that I got with a two year agreement from Sprint this past week. It was an awesome ride at Seaworld but unfortunately I overestimated my pockets and at some point during the ride it fell out. I really don't think there is any hope of getting it back. I reported it missing and have called back several times and I lost it thursday so I think I may have to get a new one, but the only problem is that I didn't have insurance and my contract doesn't run out until october, so I might be getting a pay as you go phone until then. I really don't know yet.

I've been with my dad since wednesday and it's been a blast. We went to Orlando and went to Sea World, Busch Gardens, Cocoa Beach, Universal Studios, and the Islands of Adventure. I'm pretty worn out though and I am blogging from Savannah Georgia right now and am very ready to get home. God has shown me some cool things on this trip and I will update later.