Family & Alumni Weekend

This past weekend was family and alumni weekend. It was kicked off with a festival on Lower Bourke field with student organizations providing games and small fundraisers, food, cotton candy, snow cones, and blow-up obstacle courses. There was also three athletic events: men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. The weekend doubled as the kick-off for homecoming week. The introduction of homecoming court was made at halftime of the men's soccer game. Honored, I was one of the nominees. Finally, I got to sport my vest that I got from Belize again.My family was unfortunately not able to make it out this weekend just with all of the busyness going on back at home with younger siblings sports events going on all weekend. I made the most of it, rather the least of it. I took Friday night to relax as the next few weekends have been filled up already with tons of plans. I stayed in on Friday and watched a movie. As the weekend continued on, I went down to the Plaza Art Fair for a couple of hours. There were some really awesome works of art down there. My favorite was a collection of running gears. I have always wished that I was more artistically talented, but that's simply not one of my gifts.

The next few weeks are pretty full. My first interfraternity Bible study is coming up on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it as I have been planning for it since last semester. I'm also meeting with Campus Ministry to begin planning a men's retreat for the spring semester.

Don't just survive. Thrive.

The Present is a Gift

I am so incredibly blessed. The past two weekends have been just what I have needed. On Friday evening I had some friends over to the house. Originally, we were going to have a fire in the backyard, but the weather didn't cooperate so we moved the party inside. It's interesting how what you're doing is not nearly as important as the people with whom you do it. All present: Nate Olson, David Skelton, Josh Hollis, Frank Kane, Colleen Smyth, Anna Stroop, Maddie Burkemper, and Wils. We didn't do anything special, we just sat in the living room and talked and played a board game, but it was simply perfect.

The next morning, the girls and I went to the Farmers' Market just outside of downtown. It was a really awesome atmosphere down there. I saw God in so many ways there this weekend. Very clearly in the girls, but a couple of observations I made really made an impact. First, I saw a brother and sister interacting with each other. The older brother was probably about 8, and the younger sister about 3 or 4. It was so awesome to watch the older brother taking care of his younger sister. He was holding the umbrella over her head when it started raining and had his arm around her. The second impact observation was seeing an older couple walking around the market. With the inexcusable behavior of men in our country today who don't take responsibility for their actions and don't remain committed to their promises, it is so incredibly refreshing every time I see a couple who has been together for many many years - not to mention, the wife was not in great physical health and the husband was taking care of her in her frail state. Doesn't get much better than that.

Well, two weekends in a row now of having great opportunities of simply being present with those I am around have provided a great remedy for my feeling of detachment from Kansas City and from college and my friends here. I have been thinking too far into my future about what is going to happen after I graduate and that had been preventing me from enjoying the present moment.

Don't just survive. Thrive.

Toga, Hopkins, Karaoke, Chalk...and a new business?

This was my fourth and final Toga party of my college years at Rockhurst. It was so much fun! So many memories. I stayed out afterward and had some awesome conversations with great people over at my friends' house. While I don't regret staying up and talking with people until 6am, running a 5k starting at 10am wasn't a great way to treat my body. I did run it in 22:30 though so I feel pretty good about that. To the winners: 18 minutes, Wow! Way to go!

Last night I went out with a group of friends to the Westport Flea Market to do karaoke. It was awesome! It started out being just me and my friend Nate for the first 45 minutes, but then people started coming in waves and there was a solid showing of Rockhurst people. That was the first time I ever done karaoke there...it won't be the last. What a night!

I came home to a pleasant surprise from my night out on the town. I had received a text message earlier in the evening that said, "Hope you had a great night...Be sure to use your front door tonight ya old geezer." What? I was obviously very confused. But then it all came together when Nate and I walked up the steps of our walkway and saw the sidewalk decked out with chalk. Jordan Siebenmorgen and Colleen Smyth asked Nate and I to go to the date party for their sorority. It was really cool because it brought back memories of my high school days because I asked a couple of girls to dances using chalk on their driveways. Pretty effective. 100% success rate, no big deal.And finally, in the past year I have baked up a loaf of my mom's banana bread for a few of my neighbors. They have been asking for more ever since. My neighbor Judy gave me $20 for a single loaf yesterday. Now, if something indeed does come from this, I certainly will not be charging $20/loaf; however, I wouldn't mind having a little side job income while satisfying people with the best banana bread that will ever touch your taste buds. Just ask them!

Nature's Call...Don't Worry, It's Not What You Think

I went on a camping trip over Labor Day weekend that was organized by a young adult Catholic group in Kansas City. The event is called, "Nature's Call." For me, it was really refreshing because usually when I have gotten together with large groups in that type of weekend setting, there's a lot of talks and personal reflection and "let's get really close this weekend and pretend we're going to keep in touch after we leave." This was nothing like that. It was organized, but unstructured fun all weekend long. We just hung out together - going swimming in the lake, playing lawn games, cards, there was an Iron Chef competition, a greased watermelon game in the lake and a live band at the marina.

Now, contrary to the point I made at the beginning about meeting people and then pretending that we're going to keep in touch, I met a handful of people that I really would like to keep in touch with. One guy, Kiran, who I met there (he ended up staying in my tent because he didn't have one) works at an Indian Cuisine restaurant in Overland Park called, "Chilli n Spice." He invited me to come to the restaurant sometime. And we're friends on Facebook now which makes the friendship official (sarcastic).

So the main point that I would like to make clear through this entry (which also relates to my experience this entire summer at Camp Wojtyla) is that living a Christian lifestyle often has this misconception of only being a list of "Dos and Don'ts" and you're condemned if you don't follow the rules; the real truth of the Christian life being that having a right relationship with God and others and living life to the full is actually FUN!!!

Nothin' to Lose

This past weekend was full of enjoyment. The headliner for the weekend was the Josh Gracin concert on Lower Bourke. Great times.

After the concert, I went over to a friend's house. It was really cool because after the concert, I didn't really feel like going over, I just felt like crashing at home and watching a movie. Little did I know what the evening had in store for me! I got my fix of relaxation as I people-watched from a chair in the corner of the basement. I just sat there by myself for about 15-20 watching everybody interact with each other and enjoy each others' company. I entered reflection mode as I pondered where I would be this time next year; away from college life and into a new and exciting chapter. Following my personal reflection time, I started walking around the house and ended up having awesome conversations with people with whom I had never had the opportunity of having really good, in-depth discussions. Following this series of authentic conversation, I finally made it to a point where I had the urge to join the dance party. I made my way back downstairs and burned up the floor (yea right!). It was funny because on my way over to the house I was saying that I was only in the mood to stay for an hour or not much longer than that...3 hours later and I'm finally making my way out the door. When I got back to my house, I decided that I needed to wind down before I went to bed. What better way to do that than to utilize the fire pit in my backyard? So I got a small fire going; fit for the enjoyment of the company of one. Just sat and took in the whole evening, in addition to a series of other thoughts. I was completely fulfilled on the evening because I was about ready to settle for a night of sitting in front of a television screen for 2 hours while everyone else had fun. I got to experience the night on a completely different level as I hit every facet of a party experience by soaking in the moment at the beginning; sharing great conversation with friends; and then getting my dance moves on before leaving the house and reflecting in front of a small fire. I don't mean to discredit the experience of everyone else, but I would argue that I had the BEST night of anybody there.

A New Home

Upon my return to Rockhurst I realized something. Before I had left for the summer, I had walked around the entire campus with this inescapable thought that it would be the last time I would be seeing the Rockhurst campus. I didn't understand it at all because I still had my senior year ahead of me. It didn't make any sense. Still, the feeling sat in my stomach and I couldn't get over it. I started thinking about all of the friends that I would miss if I didn't return to Rockhurst. I have had so many people help me grow in various ways here. I know that the day will come soon, but I just wasn't ready for that thought back in May of my junior year.

Through some reflection time here is what I realized: outside of a new class of freshmen, a giant parking garage, and summer haircuts, nothing has really changed here at Rockhurst. That's when it hit me. I have experienced some major changes over the past summer. I changed. I'm a different person than I was when I left in May. It's a good change. I was moved greatly by the Holy Spirit this summer and I have returned to campus with a purpose and a mission that I didn't really have a few months ago. I think that may explain that feeling that I had three months ago. I was looking at everything for the last time in that particular light; I was going to see it all again, but it would be with a new set of eyes.

Among a few plans including an inter-fraternal Bible study and a Men's Retreat, I have taken on the Spiritual Chair of my fraternity. I have seen how experiencing Jesus Christ has morphed me into a much better person than I was when I first came to college. I honestly have trouble explaining most of it to other people, possibly because I'm not sure if they'll understand. But I suppose that is not for me to decide. My responsibility is to live out my faith so that others may experience Christ's love through me. "Make me a channel of your peace."

Can't Get Enough Outdoors

One weekend after I got back to civilization after an entire summer in the wilderness, my family decided to go on a vacation. A weekend camping by Dillon Reservoir between Dillon and Frisco Colorado. I think I kind of like this stuff. My mom asked me if I was alright with going camping for our family vacation. I love it. I finally got to go fishing too. I hadn't been fishing on a lake during the summer since 2009. I grew up fishing every summer. Wasn't great, only caught one on the weekend but it was such a great time just sitting back relaxing on the lake shore; talking on an individual basis with each of my siblings who were there and my parents. One of my favorite parts of being in the outdoors is relying on the people around you for entertainment and enjoyment.


On the last day we went for a bike ride too. That was awesome because in the past we just packed up camp and came back home on Sundays; this time, after we packed up camp, we biked over the dam to the Dillon Marina, then back over the dam into Frisco and went out to dinner. It was just an all-around enjoyable day. The best part was realizing that those times that we went home, we just unpacked and sat around for the rest of the day; instead, this time we actually made something out of the day and then unpacked and went to bed when we got back home.