“whether its received in clarity or out of focus, hope can alleviate the pressure emptiness brings.”
my dear friend, michael wrote that. and it fits perfectly for how i feel right now.
i just got back from warped tour a little bit ago, and i’m exhausted & dirty…yet so fufilled.
This years Warped was even better than last years.. (not musically, but otherwise) if that’s even possible.
I wasn’t sure if i was going to be able to go this year as a volunteer for TWLOHA like i did last year, because there was some last min communication between me and my buddies that work there…but i was so exited to hear that i would be going back again this year.
Like always, our booth was set up next to the Invisible Children booth, which makes things crazy fun during the day. Pretty much everyone who works for/interns with/volunteers for both IC & TWLOHA are the most amazing, silly, fun kids you’ll ever meet. Selling shirts today, i cannot count how many kids came up to our table and told us about how their lives have been effected somehow by drug use, self mutilation or suicide amongst themselves, their friends or their family. It’s sad but it’s a reality. Also the amount of kids who came and shared stories with us, telling us how TWLOHA has helped them, challenged them, or just given them hope to continue after facing such difficult things. My favorite part about volunteering is just the sense of community. I hugged so many random strangers today that i’ll probably never see again.. but they shared a part of themselves that i’ll never forget, and has challenged me to reach out to those in need. I can’t get over the feeling i get when i’m listening to sad stories, the feeling i get when i take that person into my arms and tell them the only thing i know to say.
“There is hope.
There is a God who loves you more than you can imagine.
That love is unbreakable. You are inseparable from that love.
It is an unconditional love. It is the reason why there is breath in your lungs.
It is the reason you should live.
You are only broken in your inability to accept such love.
You are cherished. You are pursued. You are breath-taking.
You…are loved.”
This sense of community is something my heart aches for. If i could spend the rest of my life working for non-profits and still have clothes on my back, food in my belly and a place to rest my head at night.. i’d totally do it in a heartbeat. Community is something that i believe Jesus was all about.
I think that Warped Tour is a modern day version of the kind of environments that Jesus chose to put himself in daily. Inspiring Hope in others, spreading love, sharing faith. I love that.. and i want to be a part of that movement. Love.
if you ever get a chance to volunteer for an organization.. heck volunteer for anything. do it.
it’ll be one of the best decisions of your life.
so aside from all of that.. i also got the awesome opportunity to rock out on stage for the anberlin set and relient k. two bands that are very dear to my heart..and i’ve loved for a long time. Stephen (of anberlin) has some pretty awesome stage presence. one of my favorite things about that show was at one point he just picked up an amp and threw it out of the way.. jumped down into the pit and then just climbed up the little fence thing and rocked out with the fans. I’m sure the security dudes were mildly annoyed because they had to basically hold on to his lower half so he wouldn’t fall down. but it was amazing. And anberlins drummer, nathan, is one of the best drummers i’ve seen in a long time and could stinkin put on an entire show alone. He also slobbers like a beast. haha.
i’m sad to say that this is the 2nd year in a row that my camera has failed me at the SAME time as warped tour. so many great opportunities to get shots and my nikon wasn’t present.. because he is currently AT nikon getting fixed under warranty for something stupid. I think eventually i’m going to need to upgrade to a higher model of nikon..because the d40 is just too lightweight, and not made for travel. 
or i’ll switch to cannon. who knows i love both. i’m not one of ‘those’ photographers..
unless we’re discussing pc’s and macs. 
because then i’m one of ‘those people’.
i’m mac savvy. and i say once you go mac, you’ll never go back.
anyways there was more i wanted to mention about warped tour..but its currently slipped my mind..and i’m too exhausted to try. i’ve been up since 7 am and i didn’t even go to bed till 3 last night. that equals me running on 4 hours of sleep. my feet and back are killing me. i smell bad.
goodnight.
you are loved.
