I just got back from my annual trip to Pennsylvania, and I am going to try to blog about it. I apologize to anyone who reads this and has absolutely no idea what is going on. I understand that may happen, but for just a few of you it will mean a great deal more.
I don't know how this is going to go– this post may turn into one long rant, or it may be broken up into several posts, or it may be just a few sentences–I have no idea yet. What I do know is that there is so much I want to say, but so little of it can be interpreted into words. Usually words are capable of sufficiently saying exactly what I want said, but occasionally they fall short and I know with certainty that each year as I return from this annual trip my words will undoubtedly fail. I'm not a bad writer, but to think I could fully convey in words what this recent trip and those like it have meant to me would be like thinking that my ability to swim could get me across the ocean.
I'll explain the context of my trip in a moment, but first I want to offer a little advice on something that I struggle with often. I struggle to learn. Not in an academic manner, but in my personal life. It is much more comfortable to rest on the minuscule cushion of wisdom I've acquired over my two short decades than it is to challenge myself in thought, and it is for that reason that I often fail to do so. I want to be a better learner. Whether scribbled on a spare napkin on the plane ride home or typed out neatly in a blog post, sometimes you learn lessons that you have to write down and share. They are not written so that others will learn them, for many lessons can only be learned by experience, but we write them down so that if ever we fall, if ever we stumble along the way to who we've decided we want to be, if ever we lose sight of what matters to us–we can look back, see the lighthouse we've built, and know that there are things about ourselves of which we are certain, and those certainties remain when all else is awash in the tide. I did say that we must share our lessons with others, and there is much I could and likely will say about accountability and friendship, but I'm trying to keep this post short. Right now I just say that in my experience, it is far better to share in frustrations and triumphs with others than to endure either alone.
I will not try to explain everything that I've learned or experienced on my annual trip in a single post, for to do so would use up the rest of my night and would most definitely begin to ramble. I will however describe in a very general sense the nature of my trip to Philadelphia and the impact it has on me year after year.
In 2011 I was a senior in high school, nearing the end of my time at home. I'd chosen a university to attend, and in the process of applying for various scholarships I ran across an organization called the Washington Crossing Foundation. The WCF scholarship was designed for students who have chosen to dedicate their careers to public service. After going through the application process I was informed that I'd been selected to receive one of the WCF scholarships, and that the folks from the foundation wanted me to attend an awards ceremony in Bristol, Pennsylvania. I was a little puzzled and had absolutely no idea what I'd gotten myself into, but I agreed to travel to the awards ceremony. In April of 2011 I jumped on a plane and traveled to a city I'd never been to before to be picked up by someone I'd never met. I expected to spend the weekend with a group of strangers, but two days later when I stepped back on a plane, I was a completely different person and I had a new family. In two short days I made friends with some of the most accomplished individuals I've ever known, and somehow I was allowed to join the ranks of WCF scholars, each of whom desire to change the world in one way or another.
This is where my words begin to fail me and I apologize for their shortcomings, but the bonds that I formed at Washington Crossing Foundation that first year and in the years since could never be done justice by any language known to man, and to try would be a crime. It is almost exam week here at Appalachian State and I have a great deal to do, but I had to spend a few more minutes in reflection before I dive back into the din of crunch week. In the series of posts following this one I hope to enumerate the lessons I've learned about the world and myself from the folks at the Washington Crossing Foundation.
This post will continue in spirit at a later date, but in closing I want to say this: In April of 2011 I was introduced to a group of people I know will change the world–and I know they can because of the way that they changed my world when I met them. Simply put, each April when I visit my friends at Washington Crossing my focus is drawn back to who I am, and who I want to be. Once a year, in the company of dear friends, I am provided with the remarkable opportunity to deliberately shore up the foundations of the lighthouse I started building years ago when we first met.
Carpe Diem.
Cam
Monday, April 28, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
The Rest of my vocabulary...
This is the first of many posts to come. Hopefully they'll be on a regular basis, but I can't make any promises.
Today is Monday, and because of that I'd like to dedicate this post to a topic I know all too well: Busy-ness. As a college student I am constantly trying to add items to my schedule that will make my life (or my resume) better in some way. Whether it is squeezing in extra time at the gym, lunch with friends, or one more episode of Arrested Development, I find that I never have enough of anything in my life. Or at least that is what I tell myself.
This past week was an odd one. I was busy with a hyper-packed schedule on Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday it started to snow. My only Wednesday class was cancelled, as were all of my Thursday classes. The university actually closed, so I couldn't even get work done if I wanted to. I have no Friday classes, but the university was open Friday so I had a mildly productive day.
Last week I saw two extremes of activity at play, and it got me thinking. During the earlier part of the week I was in the fast lane, knocking down tasks and moving on to the next item on my list, but once the university closed on Wednesday, I had nothing to do. With no classes to worry about for several days, I sunk into a state of complete and utter indifference. I woke up late Thursday, spent a couple hours in the snow with friends, and then dedicated the rest of my afternoon/evening to Netflix.
My day Thursday was filled with a general state of apathy that many students tend to think of as rest. Sleep in late, do only what you want to do, and then end the day nodding off to an episode of Scandal on a futon guaranteed to give you back problems. Don't worry about the assignments and meetings, they'll all still be there when the snow melts. I have nothing against sleeping in, or playing in the snow, or even Scandal (Kerry Washington is among my Top 5 of God's creations), but to think that my Thursday was a "restful day" would be a mistake. It wouldn't be a blog post if I didn't disagree with some generally held belief shared among my peers, now would it?
As college students, we really know how to make ourselves busy. There is always a concert/class/club meeting/worship night/bowling night/dance/party to fill up our time, to say nothing of exercise, eating, sleeping, and homework. We tend to view activities as either "required" or "enjoyable" and if we are lucky we can combine them and be productive and entertain ourselves at the same time. We may even measure our success by comparing the number of fun things we do versus the number of required things we have to do. For some of us, value is found in packing the schedule tight with so many required things that we feel important, leaving no wiggle room for coffee or a late bus or catching up with a friend in the hall. I myself am guilty of this. For others, success is found in filling the schedule with fun exciting adventures. How many parties can I hit this weekend? Can I make it out to the slopes Sunday for a few hours before I have to get back to school on Monday? Do I have time to rock climb in the gym between classes? I am guilty of this as well.
The point I am trying to drive home is this: we college students have an abundance of things we can pile onto our plate, and most of us try everything at least once. But I want to redirect your focus, even just for a few minutes, to this thought: When was the last time you rested?
I'm not going to use a big R, or come up with an acronym for the word, mostly because despite writing a blog post about rest, I have a lot to get done today.
Rest implies an effect, not an action. Rest implies that you are recharged and ready to go on to the next project. Rest implies that you have processed your previous activity; that you have healed or grown from the stress it put on you. I fall asleep on my couch with my face in a textbook more often than I'd like to admit. I don't rest, I drift into sleep thinking of what I didn't get done that remains to be done tomorrow.
In Psalm 46, David writes that though the mountains fall into the sea, and thought the waters roar and foam, God is our refuge. We have a safe place to turn, and it is one which I know personally I neglect far too often. David writes, "Be still, and know that I am God,"but I find that hard to do. I'm a sleep-when-you-are-dead kind of guy, but the Lord is saying here that we've been called to rest in him.
CS Lewis writes in Screwtape that two tools of God's glory are Music and Silence, but that the world as it is now remains in the "Kingdom of Noise."
I need help clearing noise from my life, and I'm sure I am not the only one. This doesn't mean I'm going to do nothing to be productive-quite the contrary. In fact, by truly resting and reflecting on that will of God in my life, it is my hope that my efforts will be more focused, more intentional, and more effective.
I started this blog as a simple way to be intentional with my thoughts. Reflection is a necessary part of rest. Understanding what God is doing and where you fit into all of it is crucial for believers, and that cannot happen if you are charging blindly forward trying to be effective by yourself.
If you read this far, congratulations. I apologize, but the first post was bound to be a little long anyways.
Check out this link I discovered a few years back: The Quiet Place
I hope you have a restful, productive, and intentional Monday.
–Cam
Today is Monday, and because of that I'd like to dedicate this post to a topic I know all too well: Busy-ness. As a college student I am constantly trying to add items to my schedule that will make my life (or my resume) better in some way. Whether it is squeezing in extra time at the gym, lunch with friends, or one more episode of Arrested Development, I find that I never have enough of anything in my life. Or at least that is what I tell myself.
This past week was an odd one. I was busy with a hyper-packed schedule on Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday it started to snow. My only Wednesday class was cancelled, as were all of my Thursday classes. The university actually closed, so I couldn't even get work done if I wanted to. I have no Friday classes, but the university was open Friday so I had a mildly productive day.
Last week I saw two extremes of activity at play, and it got me thinking. During the earlier part of the week I was in the fast lane, knocking down tasks and moving on to the next item on my list, but once the university closed on Wednesday, I had nothing to do. With no classes to worry about for several days, I sunk into a state of complete and utter indifference. I woke up late Thursday, spent a couple hours in the snow with friends, and then dedicated the rest of my afternoon/evening to Netflix.
My day Thursday was filled with a general state of apathy that many students tend to think of as rest. Sleep in late, do only what you want to do, and then end the day nodding off to an episode of Scandal on a futon guaranteed to give you back problems. Don't worry about the assignments and meetings, they'll all still be there when the snow melts. I have nothing against sleeping in, or playing in the snow, or even Scandal (Kerry Washington is among my Top 5 of God's creations), but to think that my Thursday was a "restful day" would be a mistake. It wouldn't be a blog post if I didn't disagree with some generally held belief shared among my peers, now would it?
As college students, we really know how to make ourselves busy. There is always a concert/class/club meeting/worship night/bowling night/dance/party to fill up our time, to say nothing of exercise, eating, sleeping, and homework. We tend to view activities as either "required" or "enjoyable" and if we are lucky we can combine them and be productive and entertain ourselves at the same time. We may even measure our success by comparing the number of fun things we do versus the number of required things we have to do. For some of us, value is found in packing the schedule tight with so many required things that we feel important, leaving no wiggle room for coffee or a late bus or catching up with a friend in the hall. I myself am guilty of this. For others, success is found in filling the schedule with fun exciting adventures. How many parties can I hit this weekend? Can I make it out to the slopes Sunday for a few hours before I have to get back to school on Monday? Do I have time to rock climb in the gym between classes? I am guilty of this as well.
The point I am trying to drive home is this: we college students have an abundance of things we can pile onto our plate, and most of us try everything at least once. But I want to redirect your focus, even just for a few minutes, to this thought: When was the last time you rested?
I'm not going to use a big R, or come up with an acronym for the word, mostly because despite writing a blog post about rest, I have a lot to get done today.
Rest implies an effect, not an action. Rest implies that you are recharged and ready to go on to the next project. Rest implies that you have processed your previous activity; that you have healed or grown from the stress it put on you. I fall asleep on my couch with my face in a textbook more often than I'd like to admit. I don't rest, I drift into sleep thinking of what I didn't get done that remains to be done tomorrow.
In Psalm 46, David writes that though the mountains fall into the sea, and thought the waters roar and foam, God is our refuge. We have a safe place to turn, and it is one which I know personally I neglect far too often. David writes, "Be still, and know that I am God,"but I find that hard to do. I'm a sleep-when-you-are-dead kind of guy, but the Lord is saying here that we've been called to rest in him.
CS Lewis writes in Screwtape that two tools of God's glory are Music and Silence, but that the world as it is now remains in the "Kingdom of Noise."
I need help clearing noise from my life, and I'm sure I am not the only one. This doesn't mean I'm going to do nothing to be productive-quite the contrary. In fact, by truly resting and reflecting on that will of God in my life, it is my hope that my efforts will be more focused, more intentional, and more effective.
I started this blog as a simple way to be intentional with my thoughts. Reflection is a necessary part of rest. Understanding what God is doing and where you fit into all of it is crucial for believers, and that cannot happen if you are charging blindly forward trying to be effective by yourself.
If you read this far, congratulations. I apologize, but the first post was bound to be a little long anyways.
Check out this link I discovered a few years back: The Quiet Place
I hope you have a restful, productive, and intentional Monday.
–Cam
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