So today we made the trek out to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a college visit to Cornerstone. It was about 3 and a half hours door to door which is not bad at all. We checked out the city of Grand Rapids today and it was really nice. Tomorrow we visit the actual college and through the visit I will hopefully get some guidance in my decisions. Also today, I played drums at the new Plainfield campus. I wasnt too excited about getting up at 5:30 to get there at 6 and set up, but it was TOTALLY worth it. From the songs to the band, everything was perfect. The presence of God was truly felt in every moment of the worship. Its amazing to see how much work gets put in every week there, and I 100% commend everyone who works so hard to continue helping people find their way back to God. Its reassuring to see how much people care about others in this God driven mission.

So this weekend has been pretty great so far. But first I wanted to apologize for not writing for a while. There has been some technical issues that are finally resolved. I am excited to write I will be able to use this as an "updater" while I am in the Philippines. One of the camps has gotten WIFI which is crazy awesome. But back to the weekend. Conferences provided us with a four day weekend which is always a good start. Wednesday Stuco was great, and the relaxing on thursday was nice. But Friday got even better. There was a Philippines meeting in which many people attended to learn more about what is going on out there, and how they can contribute. Everything went very smoothly, and I think the pictures of the kids have already stolen some hearts. Afterwards, a couple friends and I (Andrew, Kelsey, Ellie, Marchelle and Kristen) got together. After walking around Downtown Naperville for a while, we decided to go back to the church. We hung out and talked until about Midnight and headed for home. During these conversations thoughts were sparked in my mind to "Give Back to a community". The energy and heart the people in our group have is certainly enough to make a huge change in peoples lives, and I certainly dont want that to go to waste. More on our "projects" will also come in later posts. Also this weekend has been the Big Ten Tournament. My fighting Illini have pulled off some GREAT WINS up to this point and will face Wisconsin tomorrow in the Championship to try and get into the NCAA tournament. Sadly I will have to miss the game but for a good reason. I am going to visit Cornerstone University in Michigan with my family, the Cunys and the Fergusons. Cornerstone is one of the Colleges I have narrowed my choices down to so hopefully some decisions can be made after this trip. To close, I want to talk more about giving back to people. Kelsey brought up a story that has touched my heart tonight and will hopefully touch the heart of others as this will be possibly turned into a reach out event. There is a family of four (dad, 2 boys, mom) and the mother has been very sick. She is home, but could go back to the hospital at any given time. Please keep this family in your prayers, and pray that hope can be brought into this families home.

Song of Hope - Robbie Seay Band - " In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies. I will sing a song of hope Sing Along, God of Heaven Come Down".

Blast.... it seems its memories will never leave my mind. From the preparations to the final packing up, I enjoyed every moment. As a lay here, I am hit by a feeling of depression. Blast grew beyond my expectations in every way imaginable. The fun did not wait to begin. Steve Cuny, Nick Brown, Andrew Sutherland, and I got to drive up with a true "guitar hero" Chris Stell. His stories kept us laughing the whole trip there, but the biggest laugh came from the "word of the weekend" (If you are interested I would highly consider talking to Stell). We arrived and almost immediately were given permission to go to bed. This differed from last year when we set up until about 4 A.M. and were awake again by 7! So the next morning we woke up and set up instrumentally. Then came the sound checks and first meetings. Adrenaline seemed to overpower the beginning of rehearsal as my anticipation grew and grew. We finished rehearsals and were ready to go for service. But not before audio/video problems occured and caused HUGE stressed around the media team. So it finally began to work and students piled in. The wave of students seemed neverending, along with my supply of adrenaline. Finally, the first song (Can You Feel It) kicked in, and Blast 2008 had started. To make a long story short, the weekend has an everlasting effect on me. My musical abilities were allowed to grow, and I became more in tune with why I was actually up on stage. I had many relationships with friends grow, and my relationship with God took an astounding jump. The Philippine ministry got a boost when over 1000 dollars was donated to ship boxes of supplies over and save many lives. But most importantly, a seemingly endless number of students handed their lives to Christ. It seemed the prayer the flowed through the building that night was "Break our hearts with the things that make your heart break." This prayer rang loud and true, and offered motivation for these surrendered students. In fact, moments in the last session were so powerful, I had to cover up tears. Its amazing what a movement a group of 700 Christ motivated students can make. This year more than ever, the picture is becoming more clear. How should we expect our pulse to align with God's if we cant even live out how he wants us to? It may seem easy to live for God at an event like Blast, but what will we do now without the motivation. What will we do without the crowds of worshipers surrounding us everyday? To me, it all seems like a big test. Blast is our "study/preparation" for the "real world." I pray that everyone who attended can truly realize this fact. It is possible for a group of 700 to make a world shaking difference. Let us use Blast as motivation to change this desperate world in which we live. As I lie in bed, depression from the end of the event is hitting. But it seems so clear now. The fun and energy should not, and will not end at Blast. We need to carry this high into our daily lives, and make it spread like wildfire. It is our job to make disciples of all people, and the only way we can do this is to live a life truly directed for God. Hopefully Blast can be a true awakening for the hearts of us Christ Followers. I cannot wait to witness the changes and impact we will make on our communities. Remember there is only One Way, and that way is through our Jesus Christ. The time has come to live for what we believe, and truly become Revolutionaries of this world.