Alright, so….
Boom. I’m officially a blogger. Never thought it would happen did you worldwide web? Well, neither did I. Truth is, I’ve never been one for blogging, so this should be an interesting endeavor. For now, I’ll stick to an introduction:
Well, Hello.
I’m Austin. I grew up in a little small town in Texas called La Grange. (reference: ZZtop) In August, I graduated from the best University this side of the Mississip—as well as the other side—Texas A&M. Seriously, that place will always have a piece of my heart. I graduated with a degree in Sport Management and minored in business and Recreation, Parks, and Tourism (aka: Fun), without a clue about what I wanted to do. In September I got an internship at Lutherhill Ministries, which is a summer camp/year-round retreat center, and it is AMAZING! I LOVE outdoor ministry for so many reasons, and working out here has grown and stretched me in so many different areas of my life.
THE BASICS (as they come to me):
· I enjoy a good Dr. Pepper. Is it strange that this was the first thing that popped into my head? Answer: maybe.
· I could eat chips and salsa all day.
· I will do almost anything for a back massage.
· I love music! I play guitar and fiddle and right now I’m trying to learn piano.
· I am obsessed with the night sky. It continuously blows my mind like nothing else, and you can see so many stars here at camp!
· I majored in Sport…aka…I like sports, watching and especially participating.
· I think animal shirts are stylish.
· I love deep conversations, especially when they somehow lead to Christ.
· I am blessed beyond measure with a great family and great friends.
· I’m almost too laid back, and very easily entertained.
· I’m a little upset that the History Channel ain’t what it used to be. Though antiques are cool, I just wanna see Civil War battles reenacted.
· I also like to replace “lol” with “rofl” in the majority of my texts. I feel it expresses the emotion much better. Rofl.
· I’m a published poet. 3rd grade. “Halloween Night”. It’s actually in a book.
· I don’t handle awkward situations well.
Mundane phrases like "that's neither here nor there" or "believe you me" make me chuckle in any context.
· I will probably laugh all the way through a Will Ferrell or Andy Samberg film or sketch.
· Finally, I want to be a genuine Man of God. Not someone who looks or plays the part with style, but someone who has been transformed by the living God. Honest. Raw. Bold. Genuine. Struggling. Man of God. I want my blogs to reflect that.
Now, I’m embarking on this journey called the World Race. What the heck?!? Since when did I think it is okay to go 11 months overseas to some pretty dark places, and proclaim the name of Jesus to a world that’s against Him? That sounds terrifying, it sounds insane! But I’m doing it. I somehow actually want to do it! Why? Simple. I HAVE to know the Lord. That desire to know him, and the assurance that he loves me and is standing over my life is somehow getting rid of all (okay, most of) the fear that tied me down to my nice and quiet comfort zone. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am overjoyed at the opportunity to tell people about Jesus and to love on people, but if I were being completely honest the driving force behind all of this is the discontentment that I’m not there yet, I don’t have it all down, I am messed up, and I’m desperate to be where He is and be in His presence. That is where I’m satisfied. So I’m cool with giving up my plans for His, and spending a year completely focused on Him because I have faith that He is going to rock my face off! Plus, I get to tell people about Jesus…not a bad gig. Rofl. I’m so pumped for this whole thing to just get started, but for now I’ll continue to persevere, continue to deal with my junk, continue to surrender, continue to seek Him, and continue to just enjoy the life of freedom I have been given. God is so great NOW, and all I want to do is know Him.
I’m soooooooo look forward to the genuine community that I am soon to be a part of, and the lifelong friendships and memories that will no doubt come with it! These 11 months are going to be grand. Man!!! I’m so pumped! I’m gonna go run around in circles to get all the excitement out. See Ya!
Aus”or I’ll probably just stalk World Race blogs”tin
