All good things must come to an end

The time has come. I have one full day left on the island, and it's as bittersweet as anything I've ever been a part of. I will indeed miss these people, that I have come to love, they have become a part of me. I came a stranger and am leaving a brother, and I'm glad for it. I've learned a lot, changed a little, and re-focused myself for what will prove to be a great school year. Putting Hatteras in my rearview mirror won't be easy but when the time comes, I'm sure I'll be ready. After all, I still have  a week to spend in Boston! I might not have accomplished all the things I planned on doing while I was here, but I believe that the Lord accomplished all he set out to do in me this summer, and honestly that is far more important than me meeting my goals. Although I think the word "season" is overused, I will be the first to admit that the two months I've spent here have ushered me into a new season of life, one that I'm both ready for and excited about. Praise the Lord for His goodness, and mercy. It's been a crazy summer, and one I will never forget.
Not only did I learn and grow, but I also made some really good friends, and hopefully our journey together won't be over just because we go back to our separate locations.

So, I guess that's it. I don't really know what the school year will be like time wise, although I hardly believe that I will remember to post anything new, so if you have been keeping up, thank you, and I love you. 

Things My Old Bass Teacher Used to Say

I know the title mentions my old bass teacher and his sayings, however i only intend to mention that briefly towards the end.

Its been a minute since i last wrote a blog post, 19 days to be exact. In that time I've been a few places, Greensboro, Wilmington, Morhead, Raleigh, Jacksonville, and of course Cape Hatteras. I realized that this summer I've spent more time in two locations than anywhere else, the hardware store is my #1 time allocation of the summer, and coming in a close second is the driver seat of my car. I've driven just shy of 8,000 miles  since late May; that's a lot of driving for 2 months. Today while driving I practiced my acceptance speech of all the prestigious awards I plan on winning, I also made a mental list of all the people I would like to thank once I get up to the podium (I'm only kind of kidding, I really did practice).

It was good to see everyone at Nic, and Kira's wedding, I most certainly cannot wait to get back to my cornerstone family. I also got to spend some time with my biological family, which I was very glad for. It's funny to see how quickly my brain changes from thinking in English all the time to thinking in Arabic just because I end up speaking it more often.

While I was away I missed all the people I've come to know and love at Cape Hatteras, and when I got back they all said "welcome home", not even like all at once, like hey make sure you say this to make eli feel good kind of a thing, but they each said it individually when they were out of earshot of each other. It meant a lot to me that they would so quickly accept me into a place they both love and cherish.

I'd also like to add that the Lord is really challenging the way I think and do things this summer. Things I had taken for granted, or had assumed should be a certain way have been put to the test, and now I am adjusting my perspective to fit what the Lord is teaching me. As a side note, I'm currently reading 8 books, that's not a joke, nor is it bragging, its just the simple truth, I would name them, but I can't remember all their names, however two of them are by Erwin Raphael McManus, he is a talented writer and a gifted pastor, I really am encouraged by his work.

Ok, as promised here is a tid bit of wisdom from my bass teacher: If you make a mistake, do it twice, and everyone will think it was on purpose.

Absolutely brilliant, and to be honest a tactic I often employ in bass playing and in life in general, it's useful in almost any scenario where you are being critiqued for creativity. Chances are your mistake is an original bit of work and can actually turn into something beautiful, so in light of that fact don't be afraid to mess up, and if you do, then make the same mistake again and let everyone think you did it on purpose, heck it might even work out for ya.

thats it for now!
love you guys

The Absurdity of Angry Birds

You guessed it, this is about the phone application "angry birds".  I was playing it at work today (my job is pretty easy most of the time) and i started to think about how absolutely absurd of a game it is.

Lets take a step back and examine this game. You are some kind of individual that happens upon a large group of birds whose eggs have been stolen by pigs. With this in mind they immediately place you in the position of general, leaving you to command all strategies hence forth. As the general your job is to tell these birds at what height they should launch themselves to most effectively kill their pig adversaries; added to this the birds die upon impact. Who thought of this game?! Who sat back and said, hmmmm some birds who are willing to commit seppuku in order to take out their enemies seems like the best group of protagonists for this plot line. Granted it is a simple game, and I'm dissecting it entirely too much, it just struck me as odd that people love this game, when it really is quite absurd that you are some kind of bird resource tactician. What happens when all the birds who willingly sacrifice themselves are gone, and you finally get back those beloved eggs of theirs? This game is craziness.

Also i'd like to add that its addictive and really quite entertaining.

If there were a zombie outbreak...

I think that if there was ever a zombie outbreak in the United States, Cape Hatteras would be one of my top choices of places to go in order to escape them. No wait!, let me explain. Ok first of all its an island, so I could just destroy the bridges that lead  here, therefore preventing the zombies from getting here in any capacity that might be considered easy, and before you mention that I would not be able to leave, let me draw your attention to the thought of boats! I don't think zombies can use boats (they aren't smart enough) and secondly if the whole mainland is infested with zombies than I probably wouldn't want to go back to it anyhow, well not until it cleared out at least a little. Secondly if for some reason zombies did get to the island, its a nice and flat place, making getting around easy, no need to be able to run up hills, plus there is a store called "Frisco Rod and Gun", I could go there in order to find protection for myself. There is a nearly limitless supply of food that cannot be infected by zombies, the ocean, and before you mention a water supply, please take one moment and google reverse osmosis, and distillation, both of which allow people to convert salt water into potable water. Yep, this place would be great, plus its the beach, which is always a nice place to be stranded. 


On a completely unrelated note, I just got a "smart phone" and to be honest I love it. I kinda hoped that I would think it was dumb and useless, but its not, its both awesome and useful. I got the Casio Commando, and so far its totally worth it. (Joel if you read this let me know what you think about those phones!) Plus the best part about it is that it is ruggedized, apparently it was tested and met military strictures for being durable and tough, which is perfect for me because even though I'm not in the army I do tend to put my phones through hell. So I found a phone that is the best of both worlds, both tough and durable, not to mention water proof, and its also running the android operating system, which means I can get any bit of information, at any time, just about anywhere, thats crazy.

Also I entered a National Geographic photo competition, I don't expect to win, but if I do, well then I get a free trip to either Alaska, Bhutan, or Morocco, so I figured it would be worth a shot, no pun intended.

There is plenty more to mention, but I don't want to drag on, so thats all for now.
Adios!

What might be considered "the swing of things"

So, even though its only been a few days since my last post a host of things have happened.
 I have mentally assigned each of my roommates both ninja turtle characters and x-men characters.
Pj is Michaelangelo, and Nightcrawler - he is the youngest, and he really loves to eat and sleep, also he is hilarious i found his role fitting.
Chuck is Raphael and Gambit- Chuck isnt angry like raph, but he does seem to be just a bit quiet, also he has the hair and constant stubble of gambit.
John is Donatello, and Cyclops- John's a smart guy, and is constantly spouting out bits of knowledge, that to me makes me think of both Donnie and Cyclops.
and I humbly accept the role of Leonardo/ Wolverine- Leo was always my favorite growing up, mainly because when i was little blue was always my favorite color, that and he uses two swords, which is totally awesome. Oh and he reminds of leonardo da vinci, who is far and away one of my favorite people in history. (seriously if you haven't read through his notebooks take some time and do it, absolutely brilliant) and i love wolverine just cause he is wolverine... its obvious.

We play soccer every monday night, and in case you don't know soccer is the greatest game on the planet, literally, more people play it in more places than anything else, and if you disagree then just ask the other 6.5 billion people what game they prefer. Anyhow, there are somewhere around 30 younglife kids and leaders staying at the skate park for the next couple days, its a madhouse, and i love it. All of em are from VA beach...seems like 90% of the people i come across down here are from Virginia. They are loud, messy and obnoxious, but they are learning about the Lord, so i am glad for every minute they spend here. They sleep in the smallish area outside of my room, its really just big enough for em, im sure its packed when they sleep, but its also forced me to get up really early, 5 Am, to spend time with the Lord otherwise i wont get a minute of quiet time. Anyhow,they all went to have a bonfire on the beach tonight, so i sat at the skate park pondering my freedom and ability to do whatever i like. So...i hopped on the ferry and 40 minutes later i was in Ocracoke. (by the way, ive discovered that im obsessed with riding on boats, and in particular the ferry, its so much fun, i could literally just ride one all day and not grow bored) I didnt really know what i was gonna do there, and there is a 13 mile drive from the ferry dock into Ocracoke village, so i was driving and enjoying the scenery when i saw a group of at least 15 mexicans playing soccer, so naturally i stopped. After a minute of watching i pulled my cleats out of the car and asked to join, they obliged my request, and la joga bonito followed (thats portugese, not spanish so dont seek to correct the "o" in bonito) They called me "el otro", we played in a sand pit, and the mosquitoes looked more like birds, but it was an amazing time, praise the Lord for random adventures.

Oh and one more side note, i learned how to "drop in" on a quarter pipe, thats skating talk for me hurting myself numerous times until i  manage not to fall down as i roll down something really steep.

Thats it for now, p.s. read isaiah 11:1-9, amazing.

The Sunrise, and Blackwaters

Yesterday was a really special day in every way, it was so blessed, thank the Lord. I got up super early (5 AM) to watch the sunrise, i can never get enough of those...it was great, there was no one on the beach except a few birds and myself, oh and this one sand crab that kept popping out of his hole to see if i was gonna do anything tricky, but thats it. My roommates and i cleaned the whole skate park last night, it took about 5 hours; we worked till around 2 AM, but it was worth it, every minute of it was absolutely hilarious, i couldnt stop laughing, i even started crying i was laughing so hard. It wouldnt have been that big of a deal if we hadnt been climbing the rafters to clean piles of dust that had been accumulating for 5 years (literally 5 years), but we were on the rafters, which meant we were a minimum of 20 feet off the ground for about 5 hours, sometimes closer to 30 feet, but we all managed to make it through unscathed. After we got done we were all covered in dust and filth so we went for a swim by the pier, yes thats right we went swimming at 2 AM, and it was just as sketchy as it sounded, the water was freezing and black. Also from what i understand thats one of the more likely times to encounter a shark, so altogether it seemed rather foolhardy, but it also made me take a step back and realize something, and thats really why im posting this blog, to discuss something the Lord laid on my heart.

Often times people (guys mainly i assume) associate living for Christ with exposing themselves to dangerous things, for some reason we think it makes us more bold and filled with faith. Don't get me wrong if anyone has done a long list of dangerous and dumb things its me, but thats why i can write this with accuracy.  It seems like people just dont know how else to express their faith so they go and do things that make them feel free. The expression of freedom and enjoying life is an essential portion of living in Christ, make no mistake, however it is not the goal, its simply one piece of the puzzle. We are called to live lives of faith, dangerous and radical lives that go against the culture and make heads turn, but often times those heads turn to see OUR acts, instead of turning heads to the light of the Lord. John the Baptist had it right...that guy lived his life for Christ up until they beheaded him for speaking the truth. You see he did live a life of danger, but he didnt seek the danger, he sought God and the Lord used John's faith to accomplish things that no one else could do, prepare the way for Jesus.
I guess all im saying is that instead of doing dangerous things to prove our faith, we should be obedient in our faith, because whether we like it or not faith is something that will lead us to danger, out of our comfort zones and into the realm of total reliance upon the Lord.

Just some quick thoughts

If milk goes bad if left out because of the temperature of the air as compared to the temperature of a fridge, then why doesn't it go bad while still inside of a cow? ( the average cow body temp is 101 degrees F)

People will typically walk by a nickel on the street and refuse to pick it up, but then drive to the nearest gas station and complain that gas prices went up 5 cents.

i know...nothing overly profound, just thought id share em.

A Step Back in Time

I would say with confidence that the best way to describe this town is a place that is about 10 years behind everywhere else. Everyone knows everyone, there are no secrets (whose keeping any right?) and in order to be considered local you have to have lived here for at least 30 years, or been born here. Its harder to become a citizen of Hatteras Island than the United States, seems backwards doesn't it? Wi-Fi is a big deal, and someone mentioned to me that they think internet on phones is the next big thing. Its really slow paced, which has proven to be a double edged sword, as i can find ample down time, but little to slake my constant desire for new activities.

 I'm starving for books to read and was told that there is a bookstore somewhere in Buxton, *which is one of the small villages within the island community, although no one has told me its exact whereabouts mainly because most of them have never been there (their words not mine). Also I climbed to the top of the lighthouse, its pretty epic, just as can be anticipated, and frankly I think seeing it really can teach some revelation to followers of Christ. Along the same vein of thinking, Christ that is, I've recently fallen back in love with reading scripture, man its so awesome, I had forgotten how refreshing it is to be immersed in the word of God, and simply see what the Lord has to say about life. To clarify, its not that I had stopped reading the Word, but simply that i have rediscovered the love i once had for it. I'm glad to be here, the Lord is really working on my heart in some awesome ways, very unexpected ways.

On a relatively unrelated note, photos are really hard to take here, ive tried to take some decent ones, but ive had limited luck at the best; im not sure why but its simply been difficult to get anything to look good. Oh, and there are so many freaking mosquitoes, its so obnoxious, its like the people here are immuned to them, but i am not. I counted the number of bug bites on my arms, and just from my arms i counted over 40....that is not an exaggeration. 

Aside from all of that, it feels like ive been here for at least 5 years...im not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing, but either way it feels like ive been here forever. Im really fond of the water, but i do miss just about everyone i ever met who isnt here. So, if you arent here and ive met you, well then i miss you...there i said it. 

Well, thats it for now, and in the words of the surfer dudes here

Go Shred the Gnar!

There is sand in my bed...

That isn't a joke there really is sand in my bed, and its really annoying. Its a miserable cycle because i shower when i first wake up and then get dressed, but the first thing i do everyday is drive to the beach and swim for a few mins so i get sand all over me again, and somehow i manage to carry some of it all the way until i go back to bed again. So there is in fact sand in my bed. Anyhow, aside from the sand, this place is crazy, like it really is. Here is a list of things to remember if you ever come here.

1. The ocean is good for swimming and bad for drinking, but at least you don't have to look for a bathroom.

2. Everyone here surfs and skates, literally everyone, so much so that they even give the majority of religious analogies in surf jargon.

3. I'm the darkest person on this island, and get looked at like i'm crazy everywhere i go, although that may just be because i'm hairier than everyone else.

4. You dont have to wear shoes anywhere, i havent worn any in about 4 days.

5. People here have whats known as a " Outerbanks Brogue" which basically means that they say any word with the letter "i" in it like its spelled "oi" for example if its high tide, they say its "hoigh toide". Its really funny to hear, it sounds like a weird combination of an australian accent and an irish accent.

6. Everyone here is nice and no one is really a stranger, picking up hitchhikers is a really regular scenario around here.

Anyhow, i live with 3 guys, Chuck, Petey, and John. They're cool dudes, im glad im getting to know em, but they are all surfers just like everyone else here; they are all younglife guys which is great because at least i know what to expect, a lot of mess, but a lot of crazy stuff, coupled with hilarious situations and jokes.

I live in a skate park/church. its a really funny combination but also a cool one. We've been fixing it up every now and then which is great because i love working with my hands, and am getting to in a new way, fixing skate park ramps.

So, most of the time people finish working and the first thing they wanna do is run to the coast and check the waves for swell and wind, its hilarious. If i didnt know i was in America i would think they were speaking a different language when they talk about surfing. In fact ive taken to simply answering back in arabic when they talk in surfing, truthfully i think we understand each other about the same when they talk surfing and i speak in arabic.

On a more serious note, the beauty of this place is astounding, constantly teasing your senses, the smell and sound of the water, the changing of the tides, the sun always shining, the birds singing, all of it. Its hard not to thank the Lord for such beauty, not that im trying not to thank him, but you know what i mean. Psalm 8 comes to mind. Read it!

There really is a million things i could talk about, this place is like its own world, very different than anywhere ive ever been, but i think ill save the rest for later.

Proverbs 28:1

So, I know that the title of this blog is odd at best, however if you read the verse located in the title (Proverbs 28:1) you'll see why I chose it, that and I've honestly always loved lions; they are my favorite animal. Anyhow, I'm not entirely sure how much I'm going to be posting or writing, however I do anticipate that I'll post at least some level of information about the adventures I'll be going on this summer. Also I'll probably write a little about what the Lord is teaching me at the time, either way I hope you enjoy getting a little bit of insight into who I am, and how the Lord has blessed me.