Merry Christmas!

Good News everyone! Its the birth of our savior today! Anyways got a sweet digital camera for christmas and to compound that fact with the fact that I leave in 20 Days the blog should be taking off soon. About to head back to college station to work a little more and move out. All I really still need to sell are my hobie cat and mountain bike, the rest the Lord has been incredibly faithful and provided buyers for. (And someone is looking at the hobie when I get back to CS.)
As a second subject, about to finally get my first tattoo- heres two sketches of options. Both will have the latin phrase Sola Fide inscribed with them. Sola Fide is the original "tower revelation" of Martin Luther that started the reformation and ultimately the protestant church. Sola Fide means Faith Alone. Through faith alone in the incredible gift of Christ's sacrifice are we saved from the eternal damnation our sin bought for us long ago. Through faith alone we are God's beloved and he will take care of us in this life or the next can we wake up each day to live for him without fear. Thus faith is the guide to my life and that is why I incorporated faith with the compass rose. How's she look?

Done with college Ahoy!

Howdy all!
Today was the last day of college for me, I woke up at ten, rolled out of bed, and started the day with realizing we were out of toilet paper almost just in the nick of time. Made a quick grocery run to pick up the staples: granola, milk, eggs, peanut butter, bread and of course TP. I then rode my bike to campus for the last time, grabbed a dining hall meal for the last time, went to the RPTS computer lab and studied for a final for the last time ( all of ten minutes) and BS'ed my way through an essay question for the last time. As I walked out the door I realized it was my last day of college, and got pretty stoked. The rest of the day was spent sailing at the lake, cooking up some fried apples in rum sauce over icecream, smoking a great cigar with a cup of coffee, and hanging out with some buddies.
GREAT DAY!
Anyways for those of you who don't know, I am dropping out of college after this semester to pursue a calling that I have felt for 1 and a half years now. That calling is reminiscent of nike advertisements and all comes down to "just go do it". I first felt this calling during my second summer at tbarm where I would spend the time during mainthings dreaming about just going out into the world to serve in some form or fashion. The first conversation I had about it with anyone was with A.J. Perea my covenant leader on top of the trapeze tower at the pool. God has definately been calling me to do something different for quite a while now but I believe the last year and half he has been directing me and helping me grow in faith to come to depend on him in a way that I am so much more prepared and so much more NOT prepared for what is to come than ever before. One struggle that will come up in the next year is that I will have to continue to give each day to God and rely on his own strength and provision and that will be a great challenge.
Through the past year and a half I have tried many times to quit school and each time God has closed a door and narrowed the search of an opportunity. First, the marines turned me down for eyesight (due to the corneal transplant.) then the coast guard turned me down for "Asthma". After that I began to look at wooden boat building school which has led me to where I am headed today. This past semester has been wonderful as I have discovered three things I would like to do the rest of my life.
1. To cook for others- God has brought people into my life that it as brought me no greater joy than to provide with food.
2. To build boats/work with my hands- this semesters backyard project has been to build 14.5 ft long cajun piroguewhich is nearing completion and has been more fun to build than to ever paddle.
3. To combine 1&2 to serve others with any means necessary- The rest of my life I would like to serve others through cooking for people, working with my hands, and trying to let Christ's love shine through me.


-This brings us to today, today was the last day of college, and a day closer to the adventure in January. On january 17th I will be flying out of midland with my laptop, few clothes, my harmonicas, a hammock, a backpack, a bible, and the foxfire book( a book on mountain remedies, recipes, weather prediction, snake lore, the art of moonshining, and wood carving). And flying to Cardiff Wales where I will be for the next year. For the next year I will be living in the hull of a 65 ft. Sailboat with a retiring Welshman Dave, a 24 year old from wisconsin Drew, and a 22 yr old from australia Kallum as we finish construction of the boat in preparation to at years end when it is hopefully finished, sail to the Mediterranean and charter for several years. This should be a great adventure and a great way to serve others, cook, build a boat, and show Christs love. I will be living without income as Dave provides lodging and most of food, until the chartering begins but the Lord well e'er provide.

P.S. I hope to see everyone over christmas break for a goodbye! - Andy