Maccas

Maccas? That's the Aussie word for McDonalds :) We like to shorten everything in Australia. And I know, someone it going to stumble upon my blog and say, "Wait a sec. Is he Australian?" I realize that. But yes, I was born in OZ. And I have dual citizenship. SO! The point of this blog is to let you all know of my new found relationship with Maccas. I have spent quite a bit of money at Maccas in the past few days and also spent a considerable amount of time in the Maccas on the corner of Adams and Wells st in Chicago, waiting for a bus. The last time I was in Chicago, on the 19th of June, I sat 3 feet from this very spot for a few hours, doing the same thing. Cept that time, I was writing in my Journal about my encounters with the poor of Chicago. And now, I will fill you in on those happenstances.

When I got off the bus at around 6:30 ish, I think, on June 19th, I began to stretch my legs and look around. I had only been to Chicago a handful times before, once by train for family vacation, twice to spend the night on a mission trip by people mover, and twice to catch a plane to the Dominican Republic. But I had only really walked around while on vacation with my fam. And that time we were in a different part of Chicago. All that to say, a few days ago was my first real, solo experience with Chicago. So I got off the bus and started looking around and who should come up but an African American woman asking for money to get bus tickets to a shelter for the night for her and her children (who were not with her at the time). I was willing to listen to story, mostly because I just saw someone shoot her down and I was pretty vulnerable, having just got off a 9 hour bus ride. So I listened to her story, the bus cost 2.20 per person per ride and she had two children and they needed to get to a shelter for the night. I asked her where her kids were and she pointed over her shoulder and said back that way. A little sketchy, I know. But I was filled with compassion, like it says sometimes that Jesus was? Your head knows that she might be lying, but your heart hears a crying soul asking for help. So I said "so you need about 7 dollars yeah? Ive got a five if that will help" she says " not that won't pay for it all" and this may have been my naivety or just my compassion but I ended up giving her ten bucks. She said "God bless you" and hurried off. I was left with conflicted emotions. Had I just saved a family from a night on the streets? Had I just payed an overdue bill? Had I just supported an illegal drug habit? Had I just "purchased" a bottle of liquor? All I knew was that I had done what Jesus would have done. "Ask and it shall be given unto you" The lady asked and I, as Jesus's hands and feet, gave. But who knows??? Maybe I was wrong. I tried not to overthink it as it was already done. But a few minutes passed as I looked over my Chicago map and another African American, this time a man, approached me and asked if I knew where I was going. I said I would like to see the Sears Tower and that I had lots of time to kill, so any thing of interest that was within walking distance. He said he was going that direction anyway so he would take me there. It was only a few blocks away. As we walked, somehow God was brought up and he said he was a Christian and I said I was too. He told me of his mothers recent, the day before, passing and I was sympathetic. I told him of my journey to AR and he said Little Rock was a friendly town. Then he tells me of his need to visit his sister and the 15 dollar bus ticket he needs to buy. He wasn't pushy about it at all, just mentioned it a few times as we looked up at the Sears Tower. I took the opportunity to tell him how poor I was, with all my money intended for food on my journey. He said any little bit would help, he already had 6 dollars. So I gave him 5 bucks. He was so grateful. We exchanged names, handshakes, and blessings. He showed me the general direction of a city park where I could hang out. Then we parted ways. Again, I was torn between my philanthropist tendencies and my poor college student status. Could I afford to be Jesus' hands and feet? idk, but my whole life I've been rather on the lower end of the wealth scale and money has always come when I needed it. So I trust that God will supply my need.
So, I know starting a sentence with so is bad grammar and this blog has become quite long. But what is the ideal Blog length? Feedback would be nice :) Anyway, I want to challenge you all with something. When you get the feeling that someone really needs your help and you have ANY extra money, give it away. Just try releasing financial control of your life to Jesus. He is the ultimate banker after all and He will not let you go hungry. No matter how much money you have, if He clothes the lilies of the field in such splendor, will He not take care of you? TTFN blog followers, talk to you soon

The Bus Ride of a Lifetime

Tomorrow morning, the 19th of June, I am leaving on a bus for Chicago. At ten A.M. If yall read my past blog post, I have been uber tired for quite some time because I have been doing various and sundrious amazing and just plain goodo things. Ecaudor, Leadership Camp, Soul Quest... Gosh... now I am going to Arkansas on a bus for two days, I will be there for two days, then traveling home for two days. Some may say to me " why would you do that to your body for just two days of event and four days of travel?" well.

I have no idea. Actually, I do know. It's an adventure!! It's my first foray into the adult world. It's my first expedition completely solooooo. And man oh man, am I stoked. One of my newfound friends reminded me that I'll have an entire day isolated, by myself, to contemplate life and the world. And I agree. But I think I'll read a couple books. Or watch Once Upon a Forest! Or listen to some new music. Oh. Or, hahaha silly me, I might SLEEP! Novel idea. Maybe I'll write a poem about riding a bus while contemplating life and books? Whatever. I'll find something to do. The important thing is that I make my connections. Another thing is, what  am I gonna do while I'm waiting for the next bus? FOR THREE HOURS?!?! In Chicago. On the street. Maybe I'll evangelize a homeless guy. But I'll probly either find some coffee within an easy walking distance radius from the bus terminal or. Sleep. Anyway, I gots to go. If there is internet on the bus, I'll BLOG! But, that's all for now. ttfn yall, Have a goodo night. Untill next time

What to Do? a poem

Is there anything to do? Never in the winter

When we feel the schooly blues, come on summer! 

Hoping for a feeling to enrich me with those sights and sounds

And looking for the truth, such a bummer! 

When you hear the sound of quests and dreams, Let it simmer

Adventure's long and sleeping in, What is better?

Keepin up a purpose to support you in the end of life

Don't let life just pass you by, Make it better

 and now i must go. Look for more blogs on the bus ride of a life time!

To Sleep or Not To SLEEP!

The past few weeks have been absolutely ridiculous. On may 22, I went to Ecuador with the East Hill Youth Group. It was an amazing time but the purpose of THIS post is not to inform you on that. More later. Let it be said, I didn't sleep the best on the trip, as it was pretty full on!, and we had some crazy entire days of travel. Anyway, moral of the story is we got back to good ole' York at 12:30 on Saturday the 2nd of June. The 3rd of  June, I went to Leadership Camp at Nebraska Youth Camp. More on that later too. But the moral of THAT story was  that we went to bed at an average 3:30 AM. Needless to say, Insanity is my fourth given name. When I returned from Leadership Camp, a changed person, I chilled for half a day. Talked to the Rotary Club about Ecuador. Chilled. Slept. Mowed. Chilled. Played Music. chilled.... Then Friday the 8th of June........ I went to the Chiropractor!!!!!! And it did nothing. Then I mowed some more, made some tshirts, watched a chic flic, played Halo ALL NIGHT, then slept on a floor for 4 hours. This brings me to now. I'm wiped. Soul Quest starts tomorrow and me oh my, I am gonna die. I made a pact that I would go to bed early the first three nights.... But everyone knows that's gonna fall through in the first five minutes. It is so conflicting tho because I really love partying at 3 in the morning, but my body does not. What to do? I just thrash this flesh man until he can't even walk or see straight then I thrash some more. And it's AWESOME! And its TERRIBLE! And........... I do it some more. (sigh) Tim Foreman, the bassist in Switchfoot, once said "I'll sleep when I'm dead." so true. But I wanna Sleep NOW and I don't want to DIE now, so I am in a situation. To Sleep or not to Sleep? That is the question that my sleep deprived brain is trying to muddle through right now. And let me tell you, Dear Reader, it's rough. Sleep while you're young ;) And stay away from boiled cabbage. TTFN :)

Ahhhh the first blog of my life. Feels good. This Blog is just going to be about my life and what God does in it. So, it may have purpose sometimes and sometimes it will be randomness. I may post everyday and I may post once a month. Who knows? This may be the only post ever. You'll just have to find out :) I gotta shout out to Lisa Bloecher, Bailey Cate, Bailey Kinney, Soren Tobey, Liz Fillman and anyone else who wanted me to start a blog. We'll see what happens