Greater Than Myself.

There comes a time in your life where you really have to examine who you are and where you're going. I am a little more neurotic than the average person, so I have this "check point" moment a lot. Every time I check in with myself, I'm usually fine with where I am at in life. But recently when I was having one of these moments, I wasn't fine with where I am at. I was at a Starbucks on my computer looking at the YWAM ( Youth with a Mission) site. I always look at this site because I would love to do a mission with them. You see, I look at this site, but I never believe that I'll actually be able to do a mission with them someday. I always tell myself that I have too much that I want to accomplish before I'm 25 and that doing a mission would just prevent me from getting what I want. And that whole statement made me freeze. The future I have planned for myself in the next 5 years is all about how I will succeed and go to a good school and focus on me, me, ME. God is in the picture, but he is kind of pushed to the side. There in my seat at Starbucks I imagined my future and I saw a self-consumed person, which is the opposite of what I want to be and what God wants me to be. In my whole plan, I never even gave God a chance to voice himself. So why can't I do something like YWAM? I'm the only person holding me back. That whole self evaluation has really made me realize that there is so much more to life than waiting for my big break to come. I need to break out myself, and be the person God fully intended me to be. I am sick of being complacent and feeling like I'm stuck.
I'm ready to change.
My prayer is for God to show me what he wants to do. I'm all ears.

Apology.

Look who said they were going to keep a blog all summer!
Was that me?
Oops.
Well for any of you who have every worked at a camp full-time, you know how hard it is to reach a computer, let alone keep a blog updated!

Here's to blogging more this fall!!

One is coming soon!

Austin.

AHH!

FINALS.
I am dreading them.
They make me feel so small. 
Just one more week. I am pretty confident in my ability, so I'm not too worried. But, I just hate studying... woe-is-me.
Anyways, my last final is on June 2nd, which means I have only 6 more days after that to prepare for Hume!! Can you believe it is already that time? I can't honestly. A couple of months ago Hume looked so far away, now I am freaking because Hume is a-creeping up on ME. That rhymed...
Request: Please pray for me and my fellow co-workers up at Hume. It will be much needed :)

In the midst of studying for finals, my Grandma Annie and my Uncle Grunt (long story behind the name...) have come to visit to see Hansen's play, Aladdin. It is so great to see them because I haven't seen them for a while! And what nice family members my family has that they would drive all the way from L.A. to see their nephew/grandson in a church play :). We are blessed!!

Blessed... that is a good word amiright? All of you have felt blessed at times, and if you haven't... you probably need to be more receptive. Recently I have been feeling blessed in many ways. Recently the thing that has made me feel ultimately blessed is just the privilege to pray to the Father. I know I have expressed this a bunch, but I am serious! I cannot get over how great it is that we can just give our requests and praises to Him and that He is LISTENING. The other day I heard someone tell me that God doesn't always answer your prayers in the way you want Him too, but he always answers them. Kind of a thought-provoking statement don't you think? After thinking about it more, I realized that that person was right.
Think about it, and hopefully you can find some examples in your life where this is true.

Something that I've been doing recently is shutting off the music in the car when I am driving so I can just listen to the silence. And for any of you who know me.... I almost NEVER have the music off. I'm usually blasting Adam Lambert, Katy Perry, or Lady Gaga and I'm usually belting the lyrics out. I'm a dork, what can I say? Anyways, the silence has given me an opportunity to pray and just listen, and I notice after I do it I feel refreshed! You should try it.

Ok I'm rambling, thank you for reading my insights and word vomit of the day.
Love you all!
Austin

George Dawson.

Before I start this message, I'd like to say that I have never even laid eyes on the Oprah show until this year. I only started watching because it is her very last season. I figured there has to be a reason why she is SO popular! 

Now, I'm no Oprah fanatic, but I do tune in regularly and I must say I enjoy it...

So, speaking of Oprah, I tuned in a couple of days ago and watched her show titled, "Oprah's Most Memorable Guests." One of the most memorable guests she talked about was a man named George Dawson. Here is a little background on him courtesy of the Oprah Show:

At the age of 98, George Dawson had never been to school and had never learned how to read or write. He told Carl, a local education recruiter, that he was determined to change and began taking classes from him.

The grandson of a former slave, George started working full time when he was just 8 years old and never even learned the alphabet. By the time his classmates threw him a surprise 100th birthday party, George was able to read his own cards for the first time. 

"Watching Mr. Dawson learn to read has been one of the greatest experiences of my life," Carl said in 1998. "Mr. Dawson was determined he was going to learn how to read, and that determination filled one of the most outstanding quests for knowledge that I've ever seen. It has been a fantastic miracle." 

In 2000, George became a best-selling author when he co-wrote his inspiring life story Life Is So Good. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 103. 

See how his legacy lives on today! 

Isn't that amazing? When I saw his segment on the Oprah show I instantly started crying. What a powerful message one man can convey! His life proves that it is NEVER too late to do something. So many of us say phrases like, "Well I don't see the point in doing that now" or "It's to late for that now"! George Dawson proves all of us wrong. I will be the first one to admit that I say phrases like that all the time when it comes to school and pretty much life in general! I read more about him on the internet and I found out that he earned not one, but TWO doctorate degrees before he died. I just cannot get over how amazing that is. Every time I am struggling with something, I hope I will remember Mr. Dawson and his message.

George Dawson's story got so much attention, that people even named a school after him! Incredible...

I also want to say that the man Carl who taught George how to read is a remarkable man himself. A lot of people would not see the point in teaching a 98 year-old how to read, but Carl thought otherwise. Imagine George's life if he had not met Carl!!

My goal for myself is to be more like George and Carl. I want to take advantage of EVERY opportunity I receive  It's like the saying "Carpe Diem", which means, "Seize the day."

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 Thank you George Dawson. 

Moving so fast.

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” 

Beautifully said by the great Dr. Seuss don't you think? I feel like this quotation sums up in a small sentence what I think about life. When I found out in March that I got hired at Hume Lake, I looked at the next couple months like they were an ETERNITY. Now I am just a mere 31 days away from it and it is completely mind blowing. 4 years of high school sounded like climbing Mount Everest, and now I'm almost done with my 1st year of college! 

Where does all the time go people!?!?!?!

I really would like to know, so if you could just email me, call me, or text me that would be great. . .  :-). 

2.3 miles

I just ran 2.3 miles without stopping! That is the longest I have run in a long time. Needless to say I am proud of myself!! A couple months ago I would have laughed at my Mom if she asked me to go on a run. Now I am the one asking my Mom if I can go with her! Funny how having a positive mindset can change everything.

And the best part about running today? Seeing this:
I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to run in a place like Capitola! Seeing beauty like this makes me ever so thankful for God's creation!

A New Me and an Ode to Dedication.

     For any of you who don't know, my beautiful sister Morgan has lost 70 POUNDS!! Her sexy body now makes mine look rather...well... you get the picture. Her dedication to achieving her goal of weight loss has inspired me to join her on this journey. She was the deciding factor for me wanting to have a healthier lifestyle and without her getting the ball rolling, I'd still probably be eating whatever I want!

     Not only will eating better make me healthier, it will teach me discipline; and needless to say, I am not one of the most disciplined people out there. Some people were born that way, but I wasn't, so therefore I must learn. 

     Each day I am learning, too! For instance, I am a swimmer. And like most swimmers I HATE RUNNING. But now that I'm trying to discipline myself, I look as running as something that is really really hard but something that is really really good for me. So whether I want to or not, I've been getting my butt off the couch everyday to go running. Even if it's just for a mile... It's a mile more than I usually ever do.

     And for any of you who are reading and saying you can't do it, you are lying to yourselves. Believe me when I say, if I can do it, then YOU can do it. Because it's true... I'm a total foodie and would rather eat a chocolate brownie for dinner rather than a salad. 

Mantra of the day: A Healthier lifestyle = A Happier You.

If any of you are interested in doing this, message me on Facebook! I'll be a support buddy!