Coming Home and Walking in Obedience

I am back in the 225, the BR, or that dirty red stick. Whichever you prefer, I am here and will be back here for at least the next four months. I am not saying that I am up and out after that time, but I know that I will for sure be here for that long. I graduate in December and then grown up life will surely kick in as I job hunt and do all those types of things. 

I had a blast at camp this summer and learned so much from my time there. The transition back home is always strange and full of processing of what the Lord has done at camp. This time is no different. After many days of thinking on some stuff, I think I am starting to get some of the things the Lord taught me. 

When you are at camp, obedience to the Lord's calling in our life to make disciples is almost automatic. We are at camp to make disciples and share the gospel, so we do. College students that are passionate about the Lord come to share Jesus with others day after day, regardless of how unbelievably tired they are. I got the cool opportunity to focus on pouring into college staff rather than campers this summer. I still spoke to many campers about Christ, but my main mission field this summer was college students. Like I said earlier, this process of discipleship really was not optional in a camp setting. I led a group time every morning, counselors came to me when they needed me, and it was my job to hold them accountable to a standard of excellence. This is one of the things that makes the Pine Cove camp environment so unique. I did life with these people, and all we were focused on was sharing the Gospel. 

Now that I am home I have school, friends, job stuff, a phone, sports and a million other things that have my attention. So the question is, how do I come home and actively obey Christ through disciple-making when I am not in an environment that fosters it?

I really do believe that making disciples is something that all Christians are called to do. Regardless of circumstance or difficulty, we were told to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19 ESV)  I think that it is critical for us to understand the difference between disciples and coverts. We are not called to show people Christ, get them to accept Him and leave them. We are called to make them disciples of Jesus Christ. A disciple is someone that is a student of the person that they are following. They learn how to make themselves replicas of Jesus through the Jesus they see in another person. 

It is also important for us to know that as Christians, obedience to the word of God is vital. The Bible says to make disciples, so we must do it. Jesus asked God to take the cup of His wrath away from Him, but God chose not to. Jesus, being God, humbled himself and became OBEDIENT to death, even to death on a cross (Phillipians 2). Jesus was God, and had the power of God,  but chose to hang on a cross for us. He chose not to save himself. That is a perfect picture of obedience and how we should live our lives. We should consider ourselves nothing and obey. 

While I have been in youth ministry for four years and working at Pine Cove for three summers, I can honestly say I have not consciously made an effort to disciple others. I do believe that I have shared Christ with many people and helped them grow in their walk with the Lord, but with not as much intentionality as I might have liked. God has made the picture much bigger this summer and made me realize I need to get on board. 

A Quick Trip Home

I am currently in DFW airport about to board a plane headed to Baton Rouge. No, camp is not already over, but one of my best friends is getting married this weekend. I am so excited to go home and see Garrett Ellison and Sarah Babin get married. I am his best man and I am so honored to be a part of the ceremony. 

While I am looking forward to going home to see family and friends, I am also going to miss my Pine Cove team. I have been doing life with some of these people for nine weeks and they are now my crazy nomad family. I am returning to Dallas on Sunday to finish out the final four weeks of camp. 

It is week seven, which means it has been second half for two weeks. With this change in halves comes a change in staff. It was so hard to see first half staff go, but I was excited that they were going home to share with others what God has done this summer. I know that they are in their cities creating disciples and taking part  in Biblical community. While we lost the first half staff, we also gained an awesome group of staff for second half. We are almost through two weeks of second half and they have learned so much already. Camp is going so well, and I can't wait to keep raising the bar and watch them really take off. 

I am off to home to experience friends, family, food, a haircut, a wedding and some serious humidity. I am pumped!

Never Stop Jumping (Ever)

We are coming upon week 4 and I cannot believe how fast time has flown. The madness of camp has become easier to handle. I am not sure if it's because I have grown accustomed to it, or because it has become less crazy. I would like to think that it is a combination of both. I have had a blast hanging out with our staff, and God is been teaching me so much more than I thought He would.

At Base Camps we have a gauntlet every morning. The word gauntlet might be misleading, so let me explain. Our staff spreads out on both sides of the road that cars come into camp on. For at least the next 25 minutes we are jumping, yelling, and cheering for the kids that come to camp. This might not sound that difficult, but when I say jumping I mean both feet leaving the ground with intensity. No weak sauce toe bouncing up in here. The gauntlet is such a cool opportunity for us to show the campers how pumped we are that they are at camp. We are joyful in this physically taxing process, because we know that the kids entering our camp will hear the gospel that day. While it is an amazing opportunity to show our excitement and joy, it is not easy.  I can recall many instances of me asking God to give me strength to jump for just five more minutes. I am still alive, and can say that He has given me what I need every morning. He is truly strong when I am weak.

Week 2 in Brentwood, TN was a blast. I had already done camp at that church last summer, and it was cool to see old campers and to be familiar with my surroundings. I noticed a few things about Brentwood while I was there. It is the Beverly Hills of the East coast, everyone plays an instrument, and hipsters are EVERYWHERE.  The family I stayed with was amazing. A classic artsy couple, he was a musician and she was a graphic designer. They were so generous and a huge blessing to us.

Week 3 in Newnan, GA just ended. I also came to this church last year with camp. We had twice as many campers this year than last year, which was such an encouragement to our mission. Newnan is right outside Atlanta and the church that we were partnering with has a heart for spreading the gospel to the huge city of Atlanta. It is really great to see such mission minded churches on this trip.

During both week s we have hade numerous kids accept Christ and it is so humbling to be a part of that process. God is good! This blog has been more serious, but I am just trying to write some of this down so I can process it. Eight more weeks of this, and I could not be more pumped to keep going.

My bro Austin Burch and me just being ridiculous. 

My view from the cheap seats at the Braves game in Hotlanta. 

Such a cool thing to do on time off. 

The Braves game. I actually loved Turner field. 

I may or may not have bought a Chipper Jones shirt. 

Johnson City, Tennessee (yes that place from that song)

Week 1 of camp is over and we are already here in Nashville for our second week of camp. I really can't believe how fast it went by. The days are long and the week is short is what we always say and it really is true. It sounds ridiculous, but it is a very real phenomena.

The drive from Tyler to Johnson City was approximately 18 hours. The first day we drove 13.5 hours from Tyler to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the second day we had a 4 hour drive to reach our destination. Did I mention it POURED for around 9 hours of that drive? I am not complaining when I mention the rain, I am telling you that the Lord wasted no time in stretching me. I am one of the most cautious people that has ever lived, and carrying camp staff and equipment makes me decently nervous. When doing this in the rain I have to lean on the Lord even more. Thankfully we all reached our destination safe. God is good for that!

This week of camp was truly controlled chaos. I had a job that I have never done before, and our staff is majority new people. Despite being all new, our staff went hard this week and did a great job. When this happens, my job is much easier and I can focus on serving them and their campers. This week has encouraged me greatly, and my expectations for the rest of the summer are very high.

My life on stage has been rekindled this week. I got to play a bad character in our lunch skit called, "Nishma." Nishma is an evil guy from far away that wants to take over camp. Where he comes from, camp was not supposed to be fun and he tried to conform Base Camps into the no-fun place that he knows so well. Nishma's accomplice was Ishma who felt the exact same way. I am assuming that I played the part decently well, because a 6 year old girl told me, "You are a great actress." Only 10 more weeks to perfect my evil guy laugh.

God has taught me so much this week. I have more responsibility this year, and I don't know what I thought it would feel like, but I didn't think it would feel like this. I look around at the counselors on our team and the other leadership staff and I am so humbled. It is fair to say that humility is something that I struggle with, and is not something I thought I would have on my radar this early in this summer. Expected or not, humility is here and I have to deal with that. I am constantly reminded of one of my favorite passages in the Bible when I think I struggle with humility.

Phillipians 2:1-11

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, by becoming obedient to death- even to death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God is good, I am well, and 10 more weeks of camp!!

Our Projects guy Jaden and I ate at the sketchiest chinese place ever in Johnson City and it was awesome. 

Catching up with my great friend Brandon Taylor in downtown Franklin, TN

The famous Frothy Monkey in Franklin, TN

We Leave Tomorrow?

The realization that I am about to leave on an eleven-week road trip is pretty overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited, but where there is excitement there is also anxiety. God has been teaching me a lot this week, and I am so ready to see what else he has in store for this summer. 

We just finished up orientation week at camp. I got to meet all of our staff, and try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. To be honest, anyone who comes into camp for the first time is overwhelmed. This feeling intensifies when a person has never seen what Pine Cove is like before. This was the case with most of our team's new staff. They must have been thinking, "Who are all of these insane people, and why are they always yelling?" Regardless of how they initially felt, they all came around and appear to be buying in. It is great when you work hard to break down walls and finally see them fall. There were an abnormal amount of new staff this year, and they had the chance to come together over the fact that none of them knew what was going on. 

As far as the name game goes, I finished strong. I would estimate that I named close to 20 people in the last two weeks. This is largely due to the fact that we had so many people that needed names, and that all the new staff had never seen the name game before. Some more name highlights are: Slapioca Pudding, Kentucky Cried Kicken', Sweet Tea Pie, and I Believe I can Spy. 

I always have health issues at camp. They are never very serious, but they always come in droves. This year is no exception. I really hope my mom does not read this and worry big time. The first ailment of the year is a mysterious bug bite on my arm. At first it was like a regular bite, but then my whole arm had an allergic reaction. I went to the doctor and she had no idea what it was, but gave me something for the reaction. It is never a great feeling when the doctor is clueless. The redness and swelling went away, but then two days later the area around the bite that was red expanded greatly and hurt. I am headed to the doctor today to get that fixed. Hopefully my status as a medical mystery will not continue. 

Despite all the craziness, God has been so good to me this past week. I have been dog tired every day, and He has given me the strength and joy that I need. I had some great conversations with staff about everything from deep biblical theology to confession of sin. I love getting the opportunity to speak truth into staff that need it. There are multiple ways that people can react to camp, and the best is seeking help from their community and from the Lord. One thing that God is teaching me this week is that even though I do have some authority and responsibility, I am absolutely not in control. This is an issue that I struggle with, but I know that it is so good for me. 

I read through Ephesians one morning this week and have been thinking a lot about a few verses I read.  

Ephesians 4: 1-7
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Ephesians 6:7-8

 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

This is what we call the Think Tank. Think Tank + Stank Face= Stink Tank.

One of our many seminars in the Cowan Center at UT Tyler. 

Trailblazing Week

Trailblazing is an odd week of camp. There are not any campers, very few staff, and a whole lot of preparation for the summer to come. This past week I have spent the week with the rest of the “Base Camps A” leadership team and a returning counselor. We have done everything from load flatbed trucks with inflatables to plan out our skits. It is great to be back at camp. I got to see many long lost friends from summers past, and meet many new staffers that are full of excitement.

Every counselor at Pine Cove has a camp name. My camp name is Piggly Wiggly. In order to get this name, a staffer must endure the Name Game. This involves a staffer being called on stage, and they are asked questions by other staffers sitting in the crowd. Based on the answers to the questions and embarrassing stories that are told, a counselor is named. If a staffer in the crowd has a name they raise their hand and try to sell their name to the whole room. Based on the rooms support, communicated by standing up and cheering, the name is accepted or rejected. The Name Game may sound lame, but it really is a blast. I have named eight counselors so far, and I am in the naming zone! Some of my names include: “Sweet Potato Tries” “Road Spill” “Songitary Combfinement” and “Rangers are Red, Bananas are Yellow, No One is Looking For This Poor Fellow.” I know right? Where did this creativity come from?

I am enjoying this week, but there is also a lot of work getting done. We are fixing all the equipment that needs to be repaired, loading trailers, planning out daily program, going through driver and audiovisual training, and a lot of other miscellaneous work.

I am so excited for staff to get here next week and to get to know them. Counselors are the heart of what we do here at camp, and they get to be my focus this summer. I am looking forward to serving and teaching them. Please pray that I will always put them first and that patience, wisdom, and gentleness would always be on my heart.  

(This post was written on May 22, 2013 and posted nine days later due to lack of internet)

Pine Cove, Round...... I Lost Count

I am off once again to my summer home, Pine Cove in Tyler, Texas. I will be posting to this blog periodically throughout the summer to keep you updated on all of my camp adventures. 

Pine Cove Christian Camps has been a huge part of my life, both as a camper and a staffer. I started going to The Woods family camp in third grade. My family and I spent seven summers there. I began youth camping at The Ranch as a seventh grader. I spent two summers there. The Shores was my final camping destination, I camped there all four years of high school. In 2011, I was hired by The Timbers youth camp and worked the second half of that summer as a counselor. Last summer I worked first half as a traveling base camps counselor, and then second half as a Timbers counselor.  I figured that one more summer at Pine Cove wouldn't kill me. I am working 13 weeks for Base Camps this summer. My first half experience last year convinced me that if I was going to come back, it would have to be on base camps. 

I am a Pine Cove person, but don't worry I won't use 100 exclamation points or tell you that Pine Cove is the only camp that does it right.  While my lack of punctuation and persuasive language might not show it, I love everything about camp. Pine Cove is a place where you (staffers) are always tired, a little sick, and have muscle pain, but it is all worth it. We get payed to hang out and share the gospel with kids! I am constantly surrounded by amazing Christian men and women that are on a mission to share Christ. Having the opportunity to watch others overcome struggles and put themselves last is a great encouragement to me. Hanging out with first through fifth graders may not sound like fun to you, but I love it. Young kids are unpredictable, and I never can predict what they will say or do next. Sharing Christ with them, and realizing that they can understand it at such a young age, is truly a testament to how universal the Gospel really is. 

I will miss my family and friends here, but I am so excited for what God has in store for me. I will be on Base Camps Team A. Base Camps is a newer addition to the Pine Cove camping world. Each Base Camp team travels from city to city partnering with churches. We pile 30 staffers into vans, trucks, and  busses to travel to churches that we have partnered with. We travel to cities in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and of course Texas.  Riding eleven hours in a fifteen-passenger van with people you just met can cause accelerated bonding experiences. Once we get to our destinations, we set up camp and get the week started. Base Camps seeks campers that do not attend services at the church we partner with. Usually these campers don't attend church at all. We spend all week sharing Christ with campers and their families, but that's not where the mission ends. After we are gone, the church seeks out the people that we brought in to camp. The church wants to begin shepherding these people and making them part of their flock. We travel the country to help churches reach the lost people in their communities. We are a short-term missions group that hopes for long-term effects. 

Again, I am waiting anxiously to see how God will move this summer. Please keep my team and me in your prayers as we travel. Below is a list of the cities and churches we are traveling to this summer. Please let me know if you will be in any of these places the same time as me. 

Week 1 - Grace Fellowship - Johnson City, TN
Week 2 - Fellowship Bible - Brentwood, TN
Week 3 - Southcrest Church - Newnan, GA
Week 4 - CrossPointe Church - Columbus, GA
Week 5 - Fellowship Bible - Longview, TX
Week 6 - First Methodist Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
Week 7 - Grace Bible - Dallas, TX
Week 8 - FBC Midlothian - Midlothian, TX (My Hometown)
Week 9 - Crown of Life Lutheran - Colleyville, TX
Week 10 - Frisco Bible Church - Frisco, TX
Week 11 - Crosspoint Church - Bellaire, TX (Houston)

All of the pictures below are from my Base Camps travels last year.

Slip n' Slide with my cabin.

Teaching bible study with one of my favorite co-counselors, Robyn Dumas.  

My skit character Fames Jarris made an appearance week 4 last summer. 

First Graders need a noodle to hold on to so I don't lose one along the way. 

The Always Hot Topic, Gun Control

I will save you the time, and tell you right now that I am a huge supporter of the 2nd Amendment.

I grew up around guns and was taught how to use them at a young age. Yes, I have all of my teeth. Yes, I will finish college. No, I do not live in a trailer park. Gun owners have earned a bad reputation over the past twenty years due to many gun involved tragedies. I am here to tell you that I think what the people involved did was inexcusable. Give them "the chair" as far as I'm concerned. I also believe that people that do not own guns are capable of just as much evil as gun owners. There are many instances of this in national news, and people tend to overlook it.

Pro gun Americans agree with the RIGHT to bear arms. If you are an American citizen and pay taxes, it is your right to purchase guns to defend yourself or for recreational purposes such as hunting and competition shooting. If you are a felon, you gave up your right when you broke the federal laws. Gun enthusiasts don't want everyone to own a gun, they just want the freedom to do it themselves.

My grandfather used to take me out in the backyard and let me shoot cans with a bb gun. After innumerable talks about gun safety and responsibility I graduated to a pellet gun, then to my father's 4-10, and after that I caught the bug. When I say, "I caught the bug" it doesn't sound that great, but it is the truth. I love guns. I love shooting them, cleaning them, buying them, and the ability to own them. Do I want to shoot anyone?? I absolutely do not want to ever have to take a human life. If you break into my house with the intention to harm my family, you can bet I will though. A man's right to defend himself and his family goes way beyond federal legislation. It is an instinct that he cannot shake. Some men believe in doing this by purchasing guns, and other men do it in other ways. Ladies, I am not saying guns are not for you. I am just speaking from a man's point of view.

Why not be prepared? I pray to the Lord that I will never have to use the pistol next to my bed on a home invader. I don't want anyone in my house in the first place!

Events like the Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech shootings are horrible tragedies. These tragedies are all highly associated with gun control and are a strong argument for the other side of the political belief system. I understand why there are Americans who fight the right to own guns. Guns are scary. If they are in the hands of the wrong people, terrible things can happen. What I am getting at is that all gun owners are not crazed nut jobs, locked in their apartments, and waiting to make their move. We have guns for self defense and personal hobbies. If you take away a person's way to defend themselves and their favorite pastimes what do they have?

If the argument for the other side is that guns should be outlawed or highly restricted because they hurt people, shouldn't we put the death sentence on every murderer that is convicted? Why not? They are hurting innocent people. Guns have potential to hurt people, but why should law abiding citizens of America have their guns taken away? "Innocent until proven guilty" is what I thought we stood by in this country. Drunk drivers kill over 10,000 people a year in America. Raise your hand if you want to outlaw alcohol and/or cars. I didn't think so.

I know I am not changing any minds with this post. I just like to write things out to organize the massive web of thoughts in my head. If we ever get someone into The Oval Office that tries to take our guns, I can guarantee it will be more trouble than it's worth. Why punish all gun owners because of a few bad apples?

Embracing Your Stengths

No one likes talking about their strengths. "What are some of your strongest qualities?" is a question that people feel like they are bragging if they answer. I agree that bragging about yourself is tacky, but also I believe it is important for every person to know what they are good at.

A boss I once had told me, "Play your strengths and get your weaknesses up to par." I think that these are very wise words. Using your strengths to your advantage is smart no matter what you are doing. Recognizing your weaknesses and working to get better in these areas is something that all people should strive for as well. I have listed a few of my strengths below and hope that these will help me succeed in both my business and personal life. This is not a brag session, I just needed to write these out to materialize and review what I think I am good at. 

I believe that my ability to relate to people is one of my strongest qualities. I enjoy talking to people and getting to know them. I like to make people feel important by taking an interest in them and getting on their level. I believe that this makes people feel comfortable and open around me. I can use this quality to build relationships that benefit myself and the other person involved. This attribute has also helped me in interviewing situations with multiple businesses. 

            

Another strength that I have, is that I am very loyal. I place great value on the relationships that I have with friends and family. If I consider my relationship with another person strong, I place trust in that person and they place it in me. If my friends ask me to do something for them, I will absolutely do it without question. I am always willing to stand up for others and stick my neck our for them when needed. This has proven to be an advantage for me. My friends see my loyalty and the trust between us builds. This loyalty has also helped me in employment situations. My supervisors see that I am loyal to the establishments that I am involved in and know that I am working for the good of the company rather than myself. When employers see that you are working with the interest of them and their company in mind, they are more willing to give you more responsibilities. 

Some of My Best Friends

My friends are a huge part of my life. I believe that it is better to have a smaller group of great friends than to have shallow relationships with a bunch of people. I want to tell you about some of my best friends and what our relationships look like.


Wally Jenkins

Wally is one of my oldest friends. We met in Kindergarten and have remained close over the last seventeen years. We have very similar personalities and passions. This is one of the reasons we have remained great friends, and it is also a reason we argue on just about everything. I love sports, but Wally's sports knowledge and passion greatly surpass mine. He has coached basketball at the high school level and has a natural mind for the game. Wally and I are both very competitive and willing to fight for our core beliefs until people tell us to shut up. Even though we don't always see eye to eye on everything, I know that Wally would defend me to the end. He is extremely loyal and trustworthy. One of my greatest memories of Wally happened our sophomore year of college. It was springtime and the weather had just started getting warm. Wally and I were procrastinating school work as usual, and he turns to me and says, "Let's go for a drive." I hate spur of the moment things. This is why Wally is such a great friend. He talks me into things I don't want to do, knowing that I will have a great time. We got in his jeep, rolled the windows down, and blared George Straight. We left campus and headed for River Road. We had no destination, we just wanted to get out of the house. We started driving down River Road and tried to solve the world's problems through conversation. An hour and a half later we came to a dead end. We knew how we had gotten there, but we had no idea where we were. I tend to panic when things like this happen. Wally said, "Dude, calm down let's just head back." We took a different route back and enjoyed the scenery. I pulled up maps on my phone and made sure that we were headed in the right direction. In the back of my mind I was unsure if we were ever going to make it home, but Wally's confidence put me at ease. We made it back to town about two hours later and watched some March Madness. This story might seem simple and forgettable, but it sums up our relationship. He forces me to get outside my comfort zone, and I make sure that he is thinking reasonably. Wally and I balance each other out successfully. We have fun, but not so much that we get  in trouble.


Quinn Miller

This picture captures Quinn in his true element. He is always taking pictures, or doing something behind the scenes. Quinn is a graphic design master, and can do just about anything that involves technology. I have known Quinn since the third grade. He and I are very different, but we have always enjoyed each other. Quinn was my roommate my freshman year of college. We lived in an old apartment off College Drive. All of our neighbors were over the age of 60. This led to many noise complaints from our all night "study parties" and experimental cooking projects at three in the morning. Quinn is too nice. He is always willing to help anyone, and a lot of people ask him for it. This unselfish attitude has been a blessing for me to experience and taught me to think of others first. Another one of my favorite things about Quinn, is his ability to have fun doing anything. If he's bored he will find something for us to do. A friend of ours went on a mission trip to Brazil and brought both Quinn and me blowguns back as souvenirs. One night, very late, Quinn and I were bored. Quinn decided that we should set up targets around our apartment and make a game out of seeing which person could hit the most. This turned boredom into excitement and laughing for over an hour. Quinn is always there for me and has helped me get through some hard times in my life. He always helps me see the good in things, even when things look pretty bleak.


Evan Stenhouse

Everyone has that care-free, just roll with it, not a care in the world, friend. Mine is Evan. Evan is my oldest friend. We met when were three. Our moms set us up on play dates that neither of us remember. Evan is well traveled, a music encyclopedia, and just different. I feel that he has a good mix of Quinn's and Wally's qualities. He can be frightfully spontaneous, but he can also sit back and enjoy doing absolutely nothing. This guy could make a friend out of just about anyone. He treats everyone he meets as if he's known them for years.  If Evan doesn't like you then you need to check yourself. Evan has few prejudices and accepts everyone for who they are. Evan is the youngest of four children and his siblings are considerably older than him. After all of his siblings moved off to college, Evan's parents traveled a lot. My parents saw Evan as anther son and were always willing to take care of him while his parents were away. Although Evan is older than me, he was a grade behind me all throughout school. We have the same major at LSU and I try to help him prepare for whatever he needs. Evan is bigger than me, older than me, and smarter than me, but I still see him as a little brother. Because Evan was so much younger than his siblings he was very independent. Evan never asks for help and never complains. During hurricane Gustav, Evan's mom was out of town and his dad was on call at the hospital. Evan was at his house with no power, very little food, and no one to talk to. Three days into the week long power outage he calls me and says, "Hey man there is zero food at my house. If I come help you do yard work will your parents feed me?" This is a ridiculous question!! My parents would have gladly fed and taken care of Evan for nothing. Evan never wants to burden others with his troubles because he loves them. Evan came to my house and ate about two days worth of food. My parents felt terrible that he hadn't come sooner. Evan reminds me that I have nothing to complain about. I have a great life, and all of my problems are nothing compared to other peoples. Evan gives me great perspective.

A Weekend of Hunting to Remember

Successful or not, hunting trips are always fun, and they always leave me with great stories. I'll spare you the details of the less successful hunts for now. I have a specific hunting memory that I cherish  and will stick with me forever.

One of the best weekends of hunting I ever had was at my family property on Cat Island in St. Francisville, Louisiana. I was accompanies by my good buddies Squeak and Matt. We arrived on Friday afternoon at midday. We rode the property on four-wheelers  scouted some spots, and baited fields that we planned on hunting for the weekend.

The first night it was around 30 degrees and the wind was blowing hard. The cold weather was a great sign for hunt, but the wind was not to our advantage. All of us were in the stand and had been texting back and forth on what we had seen. I saw a big deer off in the distance but didn't have a shot. 30 minutes before dark, Squeak sends me a text that says, "Pigs!" Before I could reply with, "Put your phone down and shoot you idiot." I heard a shot. I then get a text from Squeak that the pig was down in the field. I hopped down off my stand and rode over to see what was going on. Squeak had shot a 75 pound sow. This is the perfect eating size pig. I dropped Squeak and his pig off at the skinning barn and went to pick up Matt.

I had Matt fire up the grill and I began cleaning the pig. By this point the temperature was around 26 degrees. The next part of this story was one of the manliest things I have ever done. As I am cleaning the pig I hand the meat to Matt, which he puts directly on the grill. The meat never even got cold, and talk about fresh! We feasted on the pig's tenderloin around an open fire, and headed to bed fired up about our hunt's early success.

The next morning it was still cold. The temperature was around 23 degrees. I dropped off Squeak and Matt at their stands and headed to mine. I had just got in my stand and put a bullet in my gun when I heard a shot. I knew it was Matt because of the direction it came from. We had a late start that morning and it was already legal shooting light by that time. I immediately unloaded my gun, packed up, and rode over to see what had happened. Matt had dropped a huge doe in the field. I ran Matt and his deer back to camp and helped him skin it out. I had the deer in the ice chest by 7:30 and began cooking breakfast. "What a hunt!" I was thinking to myself. Two kills in two hunts is a rare thing. The pressure of taking an animal was off, and we enjoyed the rest of the day by drinking coffee and telling stories by the fire.

Saturday night was just as cold. We all three got on the stands early because of the great weather. It was getting pretty dark and I hadn't seen a thing. I looked up from the book I was reading and there were three does standing in my field. "It's my turn" I thought. The wind was blowing from my back towards the deer, and they were acting skittish. I knew I needed to make a quick shot before they left. I raised my gun, cocked the hammer, and they began to walk out. I put my sights on the last one and fired. I was sure that I had hit her, but she was moving so I didn't know if I had struck her clean. She ran off so went to round up the boys to help me look for her. By the time we got back to the field it was 17 degrees. It was one of those deep, wet, bone-chilling cold nights. I went to the spot where I shot her and there was no blood. This is a hunter's worst nightmare. My buddies had made excellent shots on their animals, and I did not want to be the odd man out. I started to worry, but I knew that I had hit her. I began tracking her hoof prints, and about 45 minutes later I was ready to give up. Then I heard the three words every worried hunter wants to hear, "I found blood!" This speck of blood could not have even covered a dime.We followed the scarce blood trail for a little over a mile. An hour later I had found her. I was soaked from head to toe in sweat, but I didn't care. We had found her and I didn't miss. I had to drag her out through briars and thick brush but nothing could stop me at this point. We got back to the camp, cleaned her, and packed up for the ride home the next morning.

We had done it, three animals in three hunts. Every time we get together we talk about it. It was a great hunt and I was so glad I got to share it with friends. This might seem like small potatoes compared to most people's hunting experiences, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. There is nothing better than a good weekend at the deer camp.

Squeak and his pig.

Matt and his doe.

Me at one of my favorite places in the world, the deer camp. 

A Little Bit About Me

Like my blog? Don't like my blog? Either way here is a little info about me. 

I was born in Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana May 19,1991. I have two awesome parents, an older sister and a younger brother. My extended family on my father’s side is very Lebanese and very loud. I love my big crazy family. I have very loyal and trustworthy friends. I met some of them almost 17 years ago in elementary school. I picked up more along the way through my 13 at the same private school. I also have met many new friends in college. These things are not necessarily about me, but the people around me are very important to me.

I have a varying list of hobbies. One of my biggest passions is the outdoors. I love being outside and working with my hands. Hunting is my favorite thing to do in the outside. I started at a young age, and could never get enough of it after my first squirrel hunt. Hunting is more than the excitement and experience of killing animals. It is a great way to spend time with friends and share experiences with them. Some of my strongest bonds with friends and best stories are from times at the hunting camp.  Another one of my passions is sports. I have played sports all my life and it is another thing that I never get tired of doing. Even though I don’t play sports at a competitive level any more, I still love playing pick up with my friends. 

I was born and raised in Baton Rouge. My grandfather, father and mother all attended LSU. I had no choice but to be an LSU football fan. I love the tailgating, the band, and everything about the unique atmosphere that our Cajun culture brings to game days. Music is also a passion of mine. I was in choirs all throughout my middle and high school careers. I sang in a performance choir that went to district and state level competitions. This is something that I don’t share with people normally. Not that I am necessarily ashamed, but it is not something that usually comes up in conversation. These experiences in music gave me a great appreciation for classical music, which was fairly odd for someone my age. I still love listening to classic music today.

            

The most important thing in my life, or what I try to make my number one priority, is my relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. He is the reason that I was created. I make it a priority to give him the glory in whatever I do. I strive to strengthen my relationship with him daily through reading my Bible and learning what others have to say about him. I have volunteered in youth ministry for four years. This is a great way for me to show kids how awesome having a relationship with Christ is.

My family at my sister's rehearsal dinner before her wedding. 

My dad, my brother, and myself in the duck blind. 

Americans, Treating Dogs Like People

I must warn you, this is one of my huge soapboxes. I have always been an animal lover. Even though I love animals, I have a different point of view on how we should treat them than most people. Animals are animals. We should take care of them, but at the end of the day you are their master.

I get on to my sister all the time about this. Her dog's name is Dolly and she is 8 months old. She is half Cocker Spaniel and half Bassett Hound. She is a super cute, high-energy puppy. The problem is that my sister treats Dolly like she's a person. If Dolly does something bad my sister sprays her with water mixed with vinegar. This worked at first, but then Dolly got used to it and began to try to bite the spray bottle. This is a common practice of dogs. They resist punishment in their younger years. If this resistance is not met with a harsher punishment, you can kiss their obedience goodbye.

People, it is ok to smack your dog on the butt if they are doing something wrong. This is not abuse. Abuse is treating your animal harshly for no reason. This is a sick practice by people with warped minds. You spank your dogs to associate the pain and disappointed tone of your voice with the undesired action. Don't ask them to do something, tell them to!! It is ridiculous that we give our dogs whatever they want. Dogs are there for companionship and our pleasure. The dog should obey and serve you, it should not be the other way around.

Many dog lovers are appalled at this point and might have already left my page. If they did, they probably left to make sure their dog's every need is being met. Just as we should punish our dogs for bad behavior we should reward them for good behavior. This does not meant that they should get a treat for every time they obey, but good behavior should be acknowledged verbally and with a pet of the head.

A few things you shouldn't do with your dog and why.

1. Don't let your dog sleep in your bed. The only exception to this is if a single girl lives by herself and feels safe by the presence of her dog. I am not convinced that snuggling with a 20 to 30 pound dog makes anybody feel safer. Why do you put the dog in the bed? If you really think about it, it's gross. Hair, saliva, and whatever they have neen rolling around in is in the sheets with you. I am not saying that you have to put your dog out in the cold. Get a dog bed and put it by yours. It's not abuse I promise. Sharing a space such as a bed can also influence the dog to see you as equals. The dog gets the same treatment as you, so they see themselves as one of you.

2. Do not feed your dogs from the table. There are multiple reasons for this. Dogs were not intended to eat what we eat. Half the things that we eat weren't really intended for us to eat either. Putting human food into a dog can lead to a major change in their digestive system and metabolism. Got a fat dog? stop feeding it cheeseburgers and barbecue leftovers. Dogs will also overeat things that they are not used to having. Not only is it a health concern for your dog, but dogs whining at the dinner table is a terrible thing. I have been to many people's houses that feed their dog from the table. Whenever people that do this have guests their dog whines constantly for food. These hosts usually won't feed their dog from the table in public, and the dog can't figure it out. Don't blame the dog for whining, he is just wanting what he always gets. It is your fault!

Love your dog, treat it well, but please remember that it is a dog. Discipline your dog so it will learn. Be in charge of your dog. Don't let it run your life. Dogs are not people too.

This is my parent's dog Max. I normally do not like smaller dogs, but he is a great dog. He is obedient and loves all people.

My sister's dog Dolly. She may look cute, but she is hell on wheels!!! Discipline your dog!

Our World's Necessity for GMO's

What is a GMO you ask? GMO stands for genetically modified organism.

Agriculturally, this refers to seeds and plants that have had their genetic material altered. Their genetics are altered to create a more productive plant and a plant that is resistent to harmful environmental factors. Some of these hindrances include insect damage, harmful bacteria, and bad weather conditions.

Wether or not GMOs should be used to produce food around the world is a highly discussed topic by many people in our world today. This issue one of the hottest controversies in the agricultural section of the economy.   

          

The majority of the world's population is opposed to the use of GMO's to produce foods. Many of these people fear certain health aspects that can be caused by the genetic alteration. So far there is no research that supports these fears. Other people that are skeptical of this addition to the agriculture world, see it as a threat to the way that things have always been. People tend to fear the unknown, but I believe that GMOs will be desperately needed in the next 30 years of our lives. 

Many researchers have estimated that our population will have grown from 7 billion people to 9 by 2050. These same researchers also estimate that the world's demand for food will have increased by 70% in this time as well. This large demand for food and our limited resources of land and labor all mean one thing. We do not have the means to produce the food that is needed in the next 30 to 40 years. We must reach outside of our normal processes to meet this need. (The facts above were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization and can be found at this site: http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/2009/10/70-percent-more-food-needed-by-2050.html)

GMOs can do a lot of things for our planet. They can produce more output of a crops per seed planted. GMOs are also highly resistant to environmental factors that would destroy traditionally grown plants. Third world countries could benefit greatly from GMOs. Many of these countries suffer from harsh biological and weather conditions. The opportunity for these developing countries to grow more food would not only improve their quality of life, but it would also stimulate their local economy. Larger counties like the US and China will need GMOs because of their ever increasing population numbers. If you have more people, you need more food. 

While switching to GMO growing tactics can be scary because it has not been thoroughly tested and practiced, it is the right decision. We must protect our future. We must be willing to take a risk to receive a necessary reward. These GMO seeds and plants could change the world forever. I hope that further research will agree with the current evidence of no health differences. Get on board or starve. 

Baton Rouge Food

If you are in Baton Rouge on businesses or here for pleasure, I implore you to eat as much and as well as you can. If you waste your time by going to chain restaurants, it would  be a shame. I am here to help you find the best places around Baton Rouge to eat.

You are in Louisiana, so Seafood is number one. Even if you aren't crazy about seafood, you should give it another shot, because no one cooks it like we do down here. I have compiled a list and short synopses of great seafood restaurants of in Baton Rouge below.

Louisiana Lagniappe is one of the best restaurants in our city. It is very pricey, but the outstanding service and food is worth it. This is a great place to have a business dinner and experience a Louisiana style atmosphere. If you want to get a table, get there early or late. Lagniappe does not take reservations. You will want to arrive at 5 sharp or around 8. It is packed any time between the two. The bar is fully stocked and can put out any cocktail that you desire. The wine list is elaborate and excellent as well. All of the menu items are great, but there are a few that cannot be passed up. The crab cakes are a MUST HAVE. They come in servings of two to an order and have a remoulade sauce on the side. A few entrees that you can't go wrong with are the Pontchartrain and the Louisianne. The Pontchartrain is a sauteed filet of fish, topped with a fried soft shell crap, and topped with Hollandaise sauce and honey roasted pecans. This dish is for the more adventurous eater. Not many people eat soft shell crab, but this dish is worth taking a chance on. The Louisianne is a filet of fish sauteed in lemon butter and topped with jumbo lump crab meat. A few other local favorites are the Barbecue Shrimp, the A La Roland, and the Char- Grilled Tuna. Louisiana Lagniappe also has daily specials that are always a surprising treat. Lagniappe is only open for dinner starting at 5:30 Mon-Thurs and at 5:00 Fri-Sat. Lagniappe is closed on Sundays.

If you need to drop the price down a little I recommend Mike Andersons. Mike Andersons is a well-known restaurant that has been in Baton Rouge for over 30 years. It is a favorite of many Baton Rouge patrons. Mike Andersons has grilled seafood items, but the big hit is the fried seafood platters. These platters have very large portion sizes and could easily be split with another person. There is a vast list of appetizers and a heavy focus on all kinds of grilled oysters. These are excellent and I recommend them. The bar is large and can supply you with many kinds of beer and any cocktail that you could ever want. The wine list is fairly diverse, but not as pricey as Lagniappe's. Mike Andersons has good quality food and service. It also has a private room for parties and business dinners. Mike Andersons serves both lunch and dinner. Mon- Thurs Mike's is opened from 11:00 am- 2:00 PM and then reopens from 5:00PM-9:00 PM. Fri- Sat they are open from 11:00 AM- 10:PM. On Sundays they open at 11:00 AM and close at 9:00 PM. Mike Anderson's takes reservations.

You wanna get casual? We can do that. There is Sammy's Grill on Highland Road, Georges on Perkins  under the overpass (and a few other locations as well), and Brew-Bacher's on Bluebonnet (also has other locations in the area).

Sammy's Grill has grown exponentially in popularity over the last five years. If it is crawfish season, people will wait hours just to get a platter of their spicy mudbugs. Sammy's has a solid seafood selection as well as many other home-style options. This is a great place for out-of-towners to come if some people in their group want seafood and others want comfort food. I do not usually go to restaurants and order a salad as my meal, but Sammy's is the exception. The Tiger salad with the house dressing is one of the best salads I have ever eaten. The house dressing works well on any of their salads and should not be missed. On the other side of the health spectrum are the poboys. Sammy's does a great job with these. The fried seafood poboys are the best. Fried crawfish, shrimp, or oysters are wrapped in a a fresh French bread loaf, dressed with mayonaise, lettuce and tomatoes and it is just right. All of Sammy's fried seafood is fried to golden perfection and served in large portions with a side of fries and a slice of bread. You want italian? They have it. Sammy's has an excellent spaghetti and meat sauce  This restaurant is for all kinds of eaters: healthy, risk taking, conservative, and even more. Anybody that goes to Sammy's will leave happy.

Let's get greasy. Georges under the overpass is a true hole in the wall. If you want to experience local people and dishes, don't pass this up. As soon as you walk in you will notice dollar bills all over the ceiling. I am not sure how this tradition was started, but it creates an atmosphere that only George's has. If you go there more than once in your time in Baton Rouge, you will probably see all the same people at the bar. The locals love it and it is their place. Avoid being obnoxious and they won't mind you at all. Georges has excellent burgers, poboys and sandwiches.  Their cheeseburger is a classic American style burger on a sesame bun. The fries are fresh cut and have a great old-fashioned taste. They are great in ketchup or ranch sauce. Georges also has a killer chicken club sandwich.

Brew-Bacher's is not my favorite place in town, but they have a lot to offer and many locals like it. Brew- Bacher's is not a grease pit or a place where Louisiana atmosphere is thick. You order your food at the counter and cal your name when it is ready. Brew- Bacher's has a good classic burger as well as a burger smothered in mushrooms, gravy, and Swiss cheese. If you are going to get anything though, it should be the cheese fries. These delicious guilty pleasures are perfect dipped in a side of cold ranch. My major hold up with this place is the atmosphere. The atmosphere is not bad, it is just plain. The food is decently consistent and tasty, but it is not an overall cultural experience. If you want to go somewhere and have some Louisiana food without the experience this is the place for you.

There is No Place Like LSU, When it Comes to Football

LSU fans will feed you, fight you, drink you under the table, boo their own team, and tailgate from Friday Morning to Sunday night.

There is nowhere like the LSU campus on a game day. The aroma of booze, smoke, and every cajun food imaginable will be all you smell until you are home. Even when you leave campus, the heavenly smells of game day will still linger in your clothes. The opposing fans will undoubtedly receive numerous "Tiger Bait" jeers throughout their day. Drive-thru daiquiri stores open around 9 AM and will have a steady line of cars all day waiting for their drinks.

I grew up in Baton Rouge and have fallen in love with the rough and tumble atmosphere of LSU football. My dad took me tailgating with him all of my life. I also grew up watching my grandfather curse at the TV when LSU was playing good or bad. I was born into bleeding purple and gold, that's for sure.

Let's talk food. There is no place in the World with better food than Louisiana. All of the different styles of cooking cajun food meet in Baton Rouge about seven times each fall. You can find alligator, boudin, shrimp, oysters, jambalaya, red beans, gumbo, steaks, ribs, burgers, and hundreds of other things cooking at one of the innumerable tailgating sights. I have seen pigs being roasted in the newly marketed"Cajun Microwaves." Anybody from any other state would call this a pig roast, but down here it is known as a Cochon de Lait. That is Cajun French for Pig in Milk or Suckling Pig. Half the things on the above list are extremely foreign to every other state in America, and they have no idea that these food items even exist. We have the most diverse and delicious food of any tailgating crews in the country.

Alcohol is equally, if not more important, than food down here. Every game day one of my buddies says, "You can't drink all day if you don't start early in the morning." If you think having a beer before 5 is not okay, then what happens down here would rock your world. Friday night, all the fans go out and have a wild time in the excitement and anticipation for the game the next day. Most of these partiers have to get up early the next morning to start cooking or setting up a tailgating site. How do you get rid of the aches from the night before? Keep drinking. There are full blown bars at the majority of tailgating sights. They have Bloody Mary, Mimosa, and Screwdriver fixings out before 9. At around 11 the ice chests of beer come out, along with the liquor of choice at LSU, which is bourbon. A few things like gin, whiskey, rum, and tequila might make the table as well. As the sun starts setting, the wine,and scotch come out to complete a day full of drinking and eating.

The fans themselves are perhaps the most interesting thing about LSU football. There are no moral victories down here. A loss is a loss, no matter how well we played. LSU fans even find ways to be mad after a win. As an opposing fan you need to know how to act while on campus. If you take "Tiger Bait" harassment well and are friendly, LSU fans will treat you like family. On the other hand, if you walk into campus looking for a fight, you will get one. I have seen more than one person knocked out over a football argument. You reep what you sow down here. Yes, we boo our own players and coach. Is it terrible? It might be, but it is different. We expect to win every game. Everyone loves to win. The big difference down here is that LSU fans hate to lose more than they love to win. Football is more than a game down here. Football is life. Football is the topic of conversation from the spring game all the way to the end of the season. On sunday, many pastors open up their sermon with a quick recap or joke about the game the night before. Everyone is hooked.

If you haven't experienced Death Valley on a Saturday night, do it. Even if you are not an LSU fan, I guarantee you won't forget it. If you are going to do it, do it right. Get to campus early, call that friend you might not know that well that has a tailgate and invite yourself. I assure you that they will welcome you with open arms. Eat the food that you have never heard of, and if you want to remember the game, don't go drink for drink with these crazy cajuns. LSU football is one of a kind and it will always have a large piece of my heart.

This picture was taken by me from the student section in 2012. I had to get in line 4 hours before the gates opened to get these great seats!