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