We are fifteen (nearly sixteen) days into the new year and it still doesn't feel like it. Even as I come to blows with the fact the 2015 is indeed a thing of the past, it will not cause me to never reflect on what a great year it truly was. I did a lot of things different and some remained the same, but the truth of the matter is that none would've come to fruition without my Lord Jesus Christ. So join me as I take a look back on 2015.
I began 2015 with an internship at Oatey (a plumbing products company) as part of my program for my Mechanical Engineering degree at CSU. I didn't take any classes, but rather worked from January to May, gaining experience as well as cash for the summer. What I did there was a lot of solidworks drawings, used a CMM machine to measure drains, and tested valves where sometimes the pressure blew and I ended up with a face full of water. My friend from CSU, Rutwick, also got a job there so it was an enjoyable experience working with him.
It was the first year that college football introduced playoffs and they didn't disappoint. The OHIO STATE BUCKEYES, a team that used 3 QBs, that entered as the 4th seed, that everyone had written off, took down the Crimson Tide and steamrolled the Oregon Duckies to be the champions they truly were and thus establishing that playoffs in college football were needed and are here to stay.
In February, the saints here in Cleveland were graced by the presence of the saints from London, Canada as we swapped stories, ate delicious cheesecake, and enjoyed each other's presence.
The winter blues are real in Cleveland and one way to beat them was to disappear to Hocking Hills for the weekend with good friends. A hot tub outdoors in the winter is fantabulous might I add.
Ever wonder what it's like to spend a weekend with 150+ college students all loving the Lord, being silly, and enjoying life? If you do, I'll say it's awesomely wonderful and rewarding. The first of the two covered The Meaning of Life: Through the Eyes of God. The second covered Real Life. Both very eye opening, awesome, and so meaningful.
May rolled around and my time at Oatey ended. I was free for the summer and decided to kick it off with a bang. My buddy Ryan and I took a trip east to see one of the greatest races run throughout the year. The Indy 500. What a weekend that was. We stayed with the Merriweathers during the weekend and their hospitality is always a wonderful treat. We toured the track, saw the Hall of Fame, experienced the culture, and even saw Florida/Georgia Line concert. The race was even more exciting, being with thousands of fans, watching Jeff Gordon drive the pace car, the crashes, and the race to the finish, it was awesome. I also had the pleasure of running into an old childhood friend, Cameron Salyers. It was really good to see him again.
May didn't leave without leaving me one last gift. I hauled in an 8lb 28in Walleye off the shore of Lake Erie. That was A) my biggest fish ever, B) Fish Ohio worthy, and C) I caught a Walleye before Nathaniel. A couple weeks after, I hauled in a 26in Channel Cat out of the Rocky River. Also Fish Ohio worthy. A nice start to my fishing season.
June brought my first Indians game of the season, my first trip to the NFL Hall of Fame, and witnessing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as the banged up Cavs took the Warriors to six games in the Championship. That was disappointing, but I still believe in Cleveland. Go Cavs!
Every summer, the churches host a multitude of young people's events. I attended three and each could have a blog post of their own, but this'll have to do for now. The first was Jr. High Camp. I have been every year since 2004 (except 2014) for 11 times total. One of my first real experiences with the Lord was during my first and only year as a junior higher at JHC. It's had me coming back ever since. Even though it's an exhausting week that is never drama-less, to see these kids taste eternity and know that you helped them with that is worth more then any petty thing one goes through. The second was Mountain Top and I haven't missed one since I've lived in Ohio. To gather young people all across the Great Lakes area and other parts of the world into one place to be with other believers and experience who Christ is together is beyond words. It's that wonderful Christian high being so filled with the Holy Spirit that overwhelms you so that everything else becomes a temporary blur. The third, Vision Week, is a week long training where we dive into a part of the bible and get enriched by what is heard. Sometimes, even though I've read those passages many times, new revelations are procured and they enrich and nourish.
This past year also marked the 10th anniversary of my class being the first 8th grade graduating class from Riverside. To do something special, a classmate, Matt, organized a reunion. It was incredible to see a group of people I hadn't seen in 10 years. It wasn't just students either. Former teachers and our principal were there as well. If another one occurs, I'll make it a point to be there.
July, one of my favorite months of the year, didn't disappoint. A group of thirty of us took a week to renovate the Magnolia House. I've used this house for many things throughout the years and it was pretty cool to give it a little face lift. Sawing through ceilings, knocking out old cabinets, jack-hammering through walls, painting, making everything look pretty, was tiring, but fun.
I'm from Southern PA. I grew up on country music. I love country music. My favorite artist of every genre is Kenny Chesney. He came to Cleveland this summer and I bought tickets. You wouldn't think he's a 40+ year old by the way he does his shows. It was fantastic! One of the best concerts I've been to...ever. Especially the moment he sings "Anything But Mine" and gets to the first two lines of the chorus "In the mornin' I'm leavin', making my way back to Cleveland," he stops and lets the crowd sing that line back to him and it's an awesome moment. I hope he returns this year.
I took a weekend to visit two very good friends of mine in Columbus, Paul and Sarah Mann. Both of them did the year long Christian internship with me from 2011-2012. As we grow older and more of life's responsibilities kick in, it gets harder and harder to see friends. So I texted Paul (while at an Indians game) and by mid July, I was in Columbus. The weekend was fantastic as we went to a Jazz and Rib fest (the ribs were delicious!), the Columbus Zoo, Hot Chicken Takeover, and even got to hang with Steve Mann at his house for an evening. I thank the Lord for putting them in my life.
August couldn't wait to push July out the door. Two good friends of mine, Josh Malek and Audra Wayco said "I do" on the 2nd. The weather was fantastic, the ceremony beautiful, and two people became one in the One who created marriage Himself. God. As soon as the wedding/reception ended, I drove straight to the above mentioned vision week.
The week following VW, with barely 24 hours to catch my breath, I hopped in a rental van with my family and headed for southern central PA. This is always a grand week which included putt-putt, malls, good food, a small tour of Gettysburg, my return to Hershey Park for the first time in over 12 years, Tropical Treat, seeing many friends, and good relaxing fun.
Speaking of Hershey park, this was my first time in a long time that I've been to more than one amusement park in a year. My friend Ryan and I made the trip to Cedar Point and what started as a gray, windy day, ended up being a sunny, fun experience for the ages. I finally got to ride the Gatekeeper and crossed an item off one of my multiple bucket lists which was to ride all the coasters at Cedar point. Looks like I'll have to go again this year to ride their new one, the Valravn.
A few other things I'd like to note is that I turned 25 (a quarter of a century!) this year and also this marked the 12th year I've lived in Ohio, which surpasses the length of time I lived in PA. I also got really big into this hobby known as geocaching and am currently 7 caches short of having found 400 total. It's a great hobby, filled with adventure, treasure, cool people, and the places it takes you are amazing. If you want to learn all about it, go to geocaching.com.
Lastly, this past 5ish weeks of winter vacation has been anything but dull. I went to two Cavs games, a Monsters game, a white elephant christmas party, spent two days cutting down and burning trees at Ashland Woods, spent some quality time with people who live far away, but I love dearly, and lastly, the end of 2015 was welcomed with the new friends I met from the land down under.
If you didn't know, a group of six, wacky, funny, crazy, lovable, caring, kind, absolutely fantastic Aussies traveled halfway across the world to not only experience America from sea to shining sea (literally they did, LA to NYC) but to experience the church life with many other believers. At first I didn't know what to expect because in the past, we've had visitors from foreign lands, but never any this young. I kid you not, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had over break, Getting to know them, showing them the things (and food) we enjoy and getting to share our Christ with one another was pure bliss. Italy has been at the top of my travel list for years, but Australia may just be my new number one. From your kind words and expressions of gratitude for our hospitality and love, I humbly return the thanks. Who knows, maybe the Lord will have it in His plans for me to come this year.
There are many more things I could expound upon for this year, but I think this'll do just fine. Plus even though a year seems like a moment, a lot can happen in that time. So with that, I close the book on 2015, look forward and say "here comes another." May the Lord be with you all, always.
