It's Really A Nice Place To Be

Not my photo.

As much as I complain about this place, Eau Claire is a pretty fantastic place to be. So, to show myself that I really do like this place, here are ten things to check out if you visit Eau Claire (which was named one of the top ten cities in America for the 2014 All American City awards).


1. Phoenix Park. It may be small-ish and simple, but it's one of the most beautiful downtown parks I've ever seen anywhere in the country. Not to mention the events that go on there. If you swing by on a Thursday night during the summer, you'll catch some pretty fantastic music.

2. Tower Ridge Rec Area. Just a little outside of Eau Claire off of HWY Q, this place is home to one of the best frisbee golf courses I've ever played. If you enjoy frisbee golf and are up for a challenge, check it out. Tower Ridge also has tons of cross-country ski trails, and some horse trails.

3. The Leinenkugel Brewery. This one isn't exactly in Eau Claire, but it's just a few minutes north of Eau Claire in Chippewa Falls. If you're ever in the area, swing up there to tour the brewery. After your tour, head on over to the Leinie's Lodge and sample their beers.

4. The Livery. Seriously, if you haven't eaten there, you should. Right in downtown Eau Claire, it's one of the best pubs I've been to.

5. The House of Rock. If you haven't heard of it, you should. It's Eau Claire's most well-known bar venue for hosting bands.

6. UWEC's McIntyre Library. Open to the public, this place is pretty great for people who like to study. Plus, they have a pretty big section of ancient Greek writings.

7. Mt. Simon Park is where it's at. Frisbee golf, a giant rock from which you can see all of downtown, and cliffs around the backside that you can jump off of into the water. Pretty rad.

8. The Farmer's Markets. They're all over, and they're happening just about all the time. Pretty stinking amazing if you ask me. The best part? It's Wisconsin, and there are usually cheesemakers at these markets. You know what that means? REAL. WISCONSIN. CHEESE.

9. Bike trails. Everywhere. Not even kidding. It's amazing.

10. The State Theater. This isn't just your average run-of-the-mill theater. Go there and see a play sometime.

School's Out For... Two weeks?

This summer I did something I've never done: I took a summer online class.

Back in May I sat down in the registrar's office at my college to figure out my next semester's schedule. Just like every semester before, we picked out classes that would fit around each other to give me a full schedule. This time, however, things were different; we weren't just planning for one semester, but tentatively planning a second and looking at possibilities for finishing up my last few classes in the shortest possible amount of time after that. She asked if I had considered taking an summer online course. I told her I hadn't, but was interested. 

The class was Israel After the Exile, and I signed up for it. There would be an out-of-pocket charge for the class since the summer online courses at my college aren't covered under the full tuition scholarship, but I had two income sources lined up for when I got home, so I wasn't worried about paying the fee. Though I was a little nervous for how the format of the course would work with my tentatively busy summer schedule, I was excited for it; though it wasn't my first online class, it was my summer class. Additionally, it was my first class as a senior. And, the class proved to be an enormous blessing in more ways than one. 

First, it kept my brain academically engaged throughout the summer. Let's face it: ADD makes it difficult to make the transition out of summer break and back into "academic mode" at school. This class gave me something structured to focus my attention on. It also provided a new sense of consistency; I wasn't on campus, but I was still in school. I was still learning things that I probably would not have taken the time to learn otherwise. Now when I go back to campus and resume classes there, my brain will already be academically engaged and ready to go. No struggling to get in the groove.

Secondly, the things I was reading for the class seemed to correlate almost perfectly with things that were going on in my life this summer. Almost every time I'd sit down and read an assigned story or piece of scripture, I'd find myself encouraged in regard to something I was dealing with. Some days, it was just enough to get me by and keep my focus upward. I'll be honest: there were days where I didn't want to sit down and read something for class. But the times I forced myself to do so anyway were the times I found myself inexplicably refreshed by something I had read.

Thirdly, I learned some pretty stinking awesome stuff. Of course, I usually say this regarding just about every class I take. As much as I secretly loathe academics and studying, I love the new knowledge that I gain along the way. This time around, a lot of the learning felt independent; I was reading books and watching documentaries here and there, but I was left with plenty of room to study beyond the course requirements. There was a lot of breathing room, and it was nice. The term paper was wonderful, as well. The ability to independently research and write about topic of my choice (even if I did pick one from the list of suggestions) meant I was learning one thing in-depth.

Anyway, the class went surprisingly well and just finished up yesterday (Sunday). Now, I have ten days before I leave Wisconsin to meet some internet folk and two weeks before I return to campus. My new GoPro should be here Thursday, along with the "floaty backdoor" attachement that I ordered. This means that sometime next week, maybe Thursday, I'll have to take a day off before I leave to go around and do some most excellent filming. Ten days. I'm going to miss this place. Ya know?

It's weird to think that my summer vacation is only going to last all of two weeks, but I'm chalking it up to the fact that I'm 23 and need to just "grow up." I'm really looking forward to getting back to campus, though. Campus is my "home sweet home". I'm admittedly nervous about having a roommate again (I spoiled myself with having my own room last year), but I'm looking forward to setting up the room and getting things in order. I'm also excited to get back to working in the cafeteria with my friends. Mostly, I'm looking forward to putting Wisconsin behind me.

I'll admit it: I'm ready to leave. While being in Eau Claire has its perks, I can only tolerate being here for so long before I want to just leave. I would be totally okay with leaving tomorrow, actually, but my boss just landed a bunch more jobs that will give me a decent amount of money before I leave. I'm also sticking around because there are a few things that I would like to do yet, like put on swimming goggles and see if I can find my lost GoPro. But in all, I just want to get out of here. I may be home for the summer, but this isn't home; Central is home, and I miss it. Ya know? Ten more days before I get to leave.

Guilty Conscience

Sometimes, a guilty conscience can keep us from being in a right relationship with our Master.

Meet Miguel, my stepmom's Beagle. He may be eight years old, but he's still full of puppy-like energy and loves to play. He'll actually run around in the yard and play ball all by himself. If I'm roughhousing with him, he'll nip and bite, but he's very gentle about it. He's not much for playing fetch, though. Whenever someone comes home, he gets all excited and barks and howls until they come in. Whenever there's a rabbit in the yard, he'll chase it down until he either catches it or it gets away. One time, he actually got one.

When my dad and stepmom go out of town for the weekend, I'm on dog duty. Frankly, I'm totally okay with that. My stepmom may be almost constantly wondering how Miguel's doing, but this picture sums up the majority of what he does. Even right now, he's laying on his couch, eyes shut, snoozing the day away. He certainly lives a pretty relaxed life. This morning, however, he was far from relaxed. In fact, he was pretty scared to see me.

This morning, I woke up and the house was silent. As I came out into the hallway, I was not greeted by Miguel's bright face and wagging tail, but rather a pile of fresh dog poop on the hardwood, right by the gate. I immediately picked up the mess and cleaned the floor, but still the dog did not come out to greet me. I called for him, but there was no response. Walking into the living room, what I saw broke my heart: Miguel was cowered up on his couch. As I went to say hello and pet him, he lowered his head and dropped his tail. He knew he had done wrong. 

I led him into the kitchen, opened the screen door, and he slowly, quietly, sadly went outside. I'm not implying that dogs are self-aware (science proves otherwise), but this dog certainly had a guilty conscience about him. When I'd call him, he'd look at me, tuck his tail, and walk the other way. When I'd walk over to him, he'd sit down and lower his head in fear. I can only guess he thought I was going to punish him. But, knowing his first owner abused him, can I really blame him for showing that fearful response? As I sat on the grass by him and scratched his neck, I asked, "What am I going to do to show you that I still love you?"

Now, I'm not one to spiritualize everything, but I definitely saw a striking parallel in that moment between the relationship between Miguel and I and the relationship between myself and God. How often do I cower away from God after I sin because deep down, I'm afraid that He won't love me? How often do I lower my head, tuck my tail, and walk away when God calls me to Himself after I've done something I shouldn't? This dog was already experiencing punishment enough without my doing anything at all. I had already forgiven him. My goal was to show him that I still love him.

How often do I punish myself when God has already forgiven me? How often do I cower away from God in my moments of weakness when He is calling me to draw closer to Him? How often do I deny God's love for me by my actions toward myself? How often do I let a guilty conscience keep me from being in a right relationship with my Master? I can only think of that which I have read about God in scripture.


Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus around 60 A.D.
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by Grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show us the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

(Possibly Paul), writing to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us drawn near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

David, writing a prayer to God.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.


Sometimes, that's just enough to get me by.

Easy Come, Easy Go - The Lost GoPro

Not my photo, but this is exactly where I lost the camera.

"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for God Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5


On Monday I splurged and bought something I had been wanting for about a year: a GoPro Hero 3 with a headstrap mount for doing POV shooting. After a 3-year replacement plan and tax, it all came out to just pennies under $250. "Not too bad," I told myself. Right away that afternoon I went out and shot my first video with it, and on Tuesday I made another video. Wednesday rolled around and I decided it would be a good idea to go swimming with it. It came with a waterproof case (which I had tested at home prior to going out) so why not? If it got wet, I had a warranty. So my brother and I went down to the cliffs here in town to go diving. "Perfect," I thought. "This will make for some interesting footage."

We parked, I put the camera on my head and hit record to film the entire experience, starting with the walk down the trail through the woods. It was almost 7:30, and the sun was getting ready to set, so the light filtering through the trees was almost perfect. The cliffs were packed with people when we got there, too. "Excellent," I told myself. "This will definitely make for some good footage." Making sure the camera was secured tightly to my head, I took off my shirt and shoes, set them aside, ran down, and jumped off the cliff. It was my first time going into the water all summer, so I was pretty excited. Then I hit the water.

It would seem that I didn't account for physics. There is something about the upward force of water when your body is going down through it. As soon as I hit the water, the camera was ripped off of my head and it proceeded immediately to sink like a rock to the bottom. It was only 15 feet down, but I knew there was no going after it without proper scuba gear. The water was murky, the sun was already going down, and the bottom, though sandy, was littered with whatever people threw off the cliff. Most of this passed through my mind just before my head broke the surface. Onlookers gasped, and I heard a few voices above me saying, "Dude, he lost his camera!" 

Immediately accepting that the camera was gone and there was nothing I could do about it, I swam over to the low rock, grabbed the rope, and climbed back up the cliff. I wasn't getting my camera back. However, a few people seemed genuinely concerned, so I told them half-jokingly, "If anyone wants to go down and get it, I'll pay you a hundred bucks to retrieve it." I then walked over to where my brother was and sat down. He dove down a few times trying to find it, but had no such luck. We both knew it was gone. I thanked him for trying and we continued diving anyway.

Later as we were getting ready to leave, I told him, "Ya know, that's kind of a bummer, but it's really not that big of a deal." He looked at me and said, "Yeah, I figured. I could see it on your face as soon as you came out of the water that you were okay with it." That statement shocked me more than losing the camera. I knew before that I'm not particularly attached to my things, but I didn't really think I'd be so chill about losing something that I had just spend $250 on a couple days prior. Perhaps God really has been working in my heart, freeing me from the love of money and material possessions. 

Today I called Walmart's customer care center as a "just in case" measure to see if anything could be done since it was still so close to the date of purchase. However, the gentleman I talked with confirmed what I had already figured: the warranty does not cover loss or theft, just damage and service. He did, however, direct me to GoPro and give me their number. Thanking him for his pointer, I hung up and called GoPro, where I talked with a woman who was seemed very sympathetic. She asked, "Was this your first time using a GoPro in the water?" I replied, "Yes, it was. I guess it's a lesson learned, huh?" She told me that GoPro's policy does not normally allow them to replace lost goods; only damaged and defective. "But," she told me, "let me talk to my supervisor and see what we might be able to do for you." She placed me on hold. I put my phone on "speaker" and set it down on the table. Seconds ticked by like minutes, and I decided to cook pannekaker to keep myself occupied. 

A voice burst forth from my phone and I ran across the kitchen to pick it up. "So I talked with my supervisor, and we're going to send you a new GoPro Hero 3. You said you had a headstrap for it too, right?" "Yes," I replied. "I was using the headstrap and it went down with the camera and the waterproof case." She told me, "Okay, we'll send you a waterproof case and a headstrap too, then." I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and literally fell to my knees in astonishment. I thanked her for being so kind, she gave me some parting tips, and the call ended. 

I am convinced that God is trying to teach me a lesson in this. Perhaps the lesson is that nothing is every truly lost. Perhaps God simply wanted to let me know, "Hey kiddo, I'm still here. I know you've had a rough few weeks, but I'm still here and I love you. Keep a chin up. You'll get through this with my help."

Sometimes, that's just enough to get me by.

It's Been A While

It's been a while since I've posted a blog entry, and I thought it might be time to get back into the swing of writing again. Sometimes, my attention becomes preoccupied with things unforeseen and five months later (today) I find myself in the busy hubbub of life saying, "Hey, I haven't written a blog post since February!" This is not to say that I regret not blogging; these last five months have been a crazy adventure and a time of closure (things I will write about). However, I do find it ironic that my last entry talked about why I enjoy writing: the outlet, the release, the freedom of honest expression. So, while this entry will be rather short, more will follow.

One thing that has greatly encouraged me these past several months is God's consistent nature. He is loving, just, forgiving, and merciful. He is patient and kind, and He longs for the people He created to return to Him. He longs for His kids to be well. He calls me "son," and no matter what life may bring or how much my wanderlust may get the best of me, He always welcomes the prodigal home. Since my post about pneumonia, God has been steadily working in my heart, drawing out impurities so that I can be further refined into what He wants me to be. It's a process that has been incredible, incredibly frustrating, and incredibly humbling all at the same time.

Here are two quotes that have encouraged me in recent months.

"Breathe in, breathe out. Stay strong. It's what I tell myself. These scars stay close; they try and remind. To smile back, it's in the past, I left it all behind. I'm loved, I'm alive." -Worthwhile, "Unlovable"

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5


Until I write a little more, here is a picture of Maya to brighten the day! Isn't she beautiful?