Are... You... Kidding Me?!

1/3 of summer... is gone.
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I can't believe it. Everything is happening so swiftly. Everyday is filled with activity. It's a whirlwind. And now- I can already see that shiny, brand-new Algebra textbook smiling sinisterly at me from my desk- not to mention a new heinous history curriculum. Argh. But hey, I'm not going to complain about this first segment of summer- these last couple weeks have been incredible.
To start it off, I received the opportunity to perform the worship for my church three weeks ago with my brother Alex, my guitar teacher Andy Schultz, and Hannah from Aspire. And I didn't only play acoustic guitar- I sang too, which was a pretty bold step for me. I'm not the most comfortable guy when placed in front of an audience or large group of people so I was pretty apprehensive. But it was a great experience. The highlight of performing was when, during the last song, The Stand-

Chorus:
I'll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe, of the one who gave it all
And I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered
All, I am, is yours

(ring a bell?) numerous members of the congregation were just raising their hands to God in praise and worship. It felt so good to be a part of that- that my youth or inexperience didn't hinder me from being able to serve God and my church in that way.
Also, three weeks ago, I was invited back to Roselawn Stables horse camp which I've been attending for five years (I wasn't intending to go this year since it was quite expensive) to help out with my younger brother, Matthew's, five day camp there along with my good friend Hunter Fraser (Travels of a Teen). Eagerly, I accepted the invitation and was able to assist the camp for the week. I helped construct a goat pen, assisted campers who were struggling with their horses, worked hard rolling huge stacks of hay weighing 80+ pounds (just to let you know, I weigh 79 pounds, so they were heavier than me and required pretty much back-breaking strength, for me at least, to move), and ran various errands for the head instructor of the camp. It was a fantastic experience, and something I can put on my resume. ;)
Finally, my baseball team is 7-0-1 right now. Seven wins, zero losses, and one tie, making us the top team in my league. :D It's SO awesome. What's more, I even have some awesome nicknames which include Frank Sinatra (Franky) and Oceans 11- whose meanings shall remain unknown.
Now, enough about me, music is what's dominated most of this first period of the summer. Blink, Revive, Spacebound EP, Group 1 Crew, Stories, Addison Road, and Life, Beckah Shae, all just released this June, have kept me consumed with music, not to mention the songs, Lead Me, Sanctus Real, Something Glorious, Revive, Walking On the Stars, Group 1 Crew, Yours to Take, Jimmy Needham, Empty My Hands, Tenth Avenue North, and Avalanche, Manafest.
Phew... and that's only half of what I've done this June- there's so much more that's happened... and I still have a whole two more months of this bliss.
Suddenly, that sardonically smirking Algebra textbook and heinous history curriculum seem farther off than I once thought. :D

Jake

A Post (FINALLY)

OK, I'm not even going to bother apologizing for my inconsistent, negligent posting- I've done it on virtually half of all of my posts. But, I thought I should update you guys on what's going on in my life. Well, in my last entry, I talked about Tenth's new album, Light Meets the Dark.... *drumroll* UNDOUBTEDLY, COMPLETELY, INDISPUTABLY BETTER THAN OVER AND UNDERNEATH! And I was stunned when I came to that realization. Over and Underneath was amazing but LMtD? WOW! It was totally worth the iTunes purchase. Also, I've been listening to another artist lately- Train. I don't know if you've heard of them- I have no idea how popular they are, but I'm crazy about their song, Drops of Jupiter. I showed it to my brother and cousin, and they mocked me for liking it. *glower* jk. But anyway, I was flabbergasted, cause I thought the song was AMAZING. I've practically memorized the whole song now. Just to add to the mix: Walk on the Water, Britt Nicole, Everything Falls, Fee, and Lead Me, Sanctus Real- Incredible.
What else have been doing besides listening to music? Well, I'm just starting to finish my books in school- I finished two language arts books today and will be finishing my math textbook this week. But history- *moan* I'll be doing that until July. I have to read practically 130 or more pages a day for the history reading. Right now, I'm reading one book called, "Blue Willow". *gag* It's about some nine-year-old named Janey who is sad because she doesn't want to move from this big desert plain but might have to. Then the story continues with her getting to stay and meeting a friend called Lupe, which is pronounced "Loopy". *laughs* They go to this fair, and Janey wants to read books so she goes and reads books while Lupe goes on rides. Ugh... But don't get me wrong, there's some good books, too. But "Blue Willow"? ... All I can say is that I've lost all respect for blue willows.
Also, for the memorial weekend, my dad, three of my brothers, some of my neighbors, and I got to venture to the Boundary Waters (up in southern Canada) for a weekend of respite and relaxation. And did I ever RELAX! I'd say half of the trip was consumed with reading and playing chess and Settlers of Catan. But if that was all I did, that would've been one boring trip. Therefore, I also swam numerous times and had canoe races with my brother, Alex, and friends Mitchell and Brandon.
One more thing- I just got back from my first baseball game of the season. My brother and I are on the same team, which I think is pretty cool, and I performed reasonably well in the game, despite my nerves. You see, it's a little intimidating playing on a baseball team where the majority of your teammates are at least a foot taller than you. Just to let you know, I'm not very tall. A little under-average so yeah- I was pretty apprehensive. But I did well. I played at second most of the game and didn't allow a ball past. I batted three times, hit a nice single, and then struck out twice. ARGH! But I can promise you I nicked the last pitch of BOTH those strike outs! Well, at least I'm pretty sure...
Anyway, I'm going to leave it at that. Little House on the Prairies on, and it's a really good episode.
Later,

Jake