Night 2 of River '08

Night 2: Ouch. What a tiring day. We discovered today that we would not be riding the boat this weekend. There’s something wrong with the engine so the boat isn’t going fast. It’s unfortunate, but we proved today that we can have fun without it. First we did a lot of swimming. We went to the docks down the river and jumped into the water for about 2 hours. I was pretty tired when we came back, but the girls wanted to go a few miles down the river and float back to the trailer. I was really tired, but decided to go anyway. The float was TWO HOURS long. OMG, it took forever floating in the hot sun. I’m happy I didn’t get burnt TOO bad, and I got to keep my promise to everyone about refraining from drowning.

A week from today, I will be hosting GL’s summer Adore concert, “Shine Like the Son,” as MC for the event. I’m really looking forward to it, and I’m seeking guidance from God about what I should say. I really want to lead in prayer and bring this event to the hearts of those there. I hope this serves as an opportunity to get to know others in my parish and to share our experiences with each other. Sometimes we forget that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and assume that others don’t know how we feel when it comes to experiencing God’s love. I remember a year ago, after coming back from a retreat in Arizona, we stopped by In-N-Out and had a conversation with this older gentleman. I can’t remember his name or face, but I do remember being profoundly touched by his sharing with Tony, Camila and I, and discussing faith with us. It was truly a moment where God’s love was everywhere. A man we wouldn’t have normally talked to, gave us his testimony on his conversion, and we all benefitted it because it was shared through God’s love. I can’t really describe how powerful this was other than that it was a response and a catalyst to the way our faith was being shaped at the time, and is still growing. I hope that makes sense, it’s been a longgggg day =P.

BTW did I mention there’s TONS of little bugs here at the river. So annoying, yet serves as a reminder about how well I have it at home. I plan on posting my Steubenville reflection from last year soon. FYI, its REALLY long, but a great read. It is THE most heartfelt experience I have EVER written about and it would mean so much to me if you would read it and comprehend it.