Brachial Plexus, from fertilization to birth, study of all connective tissues

These are the things that have consumed my life, which lead to a lack of posting, i have no life, so a blog really isn't necessary, but here is what is in my mind right now..

Welcome to my life.. this is why i am indoors literally all but 1 hour a day.. oh what i sacrifice to obtain my dream..

Seth

A new Transition

Well, i have transitioned again in life.

I now live in Hattiesburg, MS, where I am an OMS-1 (Osteopathic Medical Student) at William Carey University. We finished day 2 of orientation today, so i will post pictures and information soon, but just wanted to update to let people know this blog is still alive and will be changing focuses here soon!

Seth

Summer is drawing to a close.. Med School is approaching

I am so excited about Medical School, but so sad to see my possible last summer at camp drawing to a close. It is horrible to think that next session, that starts Sunday, may be my last ever here at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys. That makes me horribly sad. Moving into a new apartment, starting to complete my life's dream of becoming a Physician, makes me real excited and happy. That is my dilemma right now.... Life. I wonder a lot of times when will I finally get a chill out break, or when will I be able to slow down and stop for a while. Well not anytime soon in the next 8-10 years probably haha. 4 years of school, 3-6 years of residency.. wooo hooo.. don't get me wrong, I am excited but also scared and doubtful of this daunting task that is before me. Am I smart enough? Do I have the willpower or the know how? I hope so.. but one thing that I do know that I have is my Jesus. And that is all I need to get through this crazy time in life. I forget that from time to time, but something always brings me back to that fact. It is usually a slap in the face by Him. He loves me enough to snap me into submission from time to time.

Thanks Jesus for being there for me, continue to break me so that I may build back stronger and stronger for you

Seth

Life is crazy

just living the good life some more here in Ridgecrest loving every minute of serving my Lord by showing guys how to live the real life with Christ..

I have my apartment in hattiesburg and roommate, Twin Oaks apartments and Bryant Self, a good buddy from Ole Miss (yeah i know that is unlikely) but anyway he is cool and we are in the same Med class, so it is guaranteed to be a good time.. well study time

I miss MS a little, not too much though im sure it isnt as much as i will miss NC come october or november..

I have to go now, just wanted to leave a few thoughts, promise to post a meaty post here soon..

Seth

Big News

I am really busy here at camp, so sorry for no posts here lately. But this calls for one and I am glad that the previous one talked about my Medical School interview because after some long waiting and prayer...

I am going to be a Doctor!!

I got accepted to William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Yeah that isn't a long name..

So I am very excited/nervous/stressed/pumped about it sadly i now have to move to Hattiesburg, MS, though.. ha it'll be all good because I will be a Doctor!

Grace and Peace,

Seth

In over my head??

Wow, I leave camp for a few days of rest and relaxation in MS, and I get back and hitting the ground running doesn't begin to describe the way I feel.

MS Recap:
While home I got in some great family time, Interviewed for William Carey Medical School (fingers crossed), got to see some great MSU friends, and met up with Andrew to drive back. I am hoping to hear from William Carey this week, so prayers are appreciated.

Today:
I got back to camp, and realized that there was 2 weeks until our Tribal Leaders arrived, which means that the summer officially begins. I had to move all of my stuff from office down to my summer office.. WEIRD... and now I have tons and tons to do. The pre-camp guys are here and working hard already, Andrew is here now so Admin is complete, and we are already working on the summer stuff in great detail. I am completely overwhelmed, from dealing with possible medical school plans (without getting my hopes up), to dealing with what is right now, in the present. It is a lot to juggle. There are a ton of loose ends to be tied up before I begin to feel comfortable about starting TL week. On the other hand, I am SO ready to see all of the staff I have hired and how they work and interact with the camp and each other. I am ready to see friendly faces from years past, faces that symbolize amazing friendships. I am ready to see the staff learn a ridiculous amount about everything camp in Staff Week and helping them to understand. I am ready to see those kids on June 13 and plan the most amazing summer they have ever had... God willing.

Pray for me, if you are that type of person, to impact lives this summer. I have no doubt I am going to learn an unimaginable amount this summer, but I have been put in a position to touch others' lives. I do not take that lightly, I pray they respect me and my decisions, and allow me to be a leader, and by His grace that they may see Him in all I do. I want to lead by service and with humility. I want to exemplify my Savior as I lead. I am passionate about that task this summer. I ask for prayer that I stay diligent in spending time with Him so that I may overflow with His love.

That is all for now.

Grace and Peace,
Seth (but from now on this summer, Chief Genteel Pine, or for short, "Pine")

IT's almost here

I have spent this whole semester preparing for what is going to happen in 3 weeks. The leadership show up here at camp. WOW, it is almost here.

Here is what is going to happen before that within the next 3 weeks though...
-- Finishing up this really busy week
-- Flying home to Soso!!! Tuesday the 11th through the 15th..
-- Driving back up here with my best friend, headed back to camp
-- Moving my office and where I live
-- Finish up planning in a very crazy manner, im sure
-- Welcome the staff and not look back
--oh yeah i also need to take the GRE, apply for Grad school, and start my Med school app for round 2 and get ready for the MCAT in September..

Well i will bring more info later.. just pray for me right now and for guidance in life and peace in this crazy time..

Grace and Peace,
Seth

A long time coming..

Well I have not posted in a long, long time. I am very sorry about that, but mainly the big thing that has gone on in life is that things here at Ridgecrest are cranking up.. and I am so busy, but loving it. My last 2 weekends have been crazy.. last weekend I went back to the homeland of Starkville, MS. It was glorious, but it put me a little behind at work. I do feel though that the mental and emotional benefits from it, were worth being put a little behind in the work part of everything... I had an amazing time with amazing friends who mean the world to me, but it was weird to be back at a place I love so much and used to feel so comfortable, to feel out of place. After graduating, alumni status makes things very weird, haha. Anyway, things are really starting up here and I am loving that. Camp has turned green, it feels warmer like camp, even smells like camp. We had a work weekend this weekend where some old staff and even some campers showed up to do some work and help out around camp. I am so grateful of all the help to keep myself and other people from doing some of those jobs later. I love a camp where we have tradition and alumni that come back and work so hard just to help because they love it here. Anyway, that is where I am in life right now. I will post some better stuff later in the week I hope. I do ask for prayer in my future guys, I am genuinely happy in where I am in life right now. I love my job, where I live, and the friends and family I have at home. But sadly 2 of those 3 are not likely to last past August, and I dont know what does wait for me, so I ask for prayer in that.

Grace and Peace,
Seth

The Final Countdown

As of right now I have 5 countdowns on my desktop on my computer..
-- one for when Andrew (my best friend) and my counterpart at camp gets here (31 days)
-- one for when the Admin get to camp for training (45 days)
-- one for the start of staff week (52 days)
-- one for opening day (60 days)
and....
-- one that is about to run out.. the one for when my plane lands at GTR for my weekend @ State

22 hours 50 minutes

I am ridiculously excited about going back to State this weekend, my plane lands at 5pm central time at GTR, so ETA to Starkville will be at 5:30pm.. I am so ready to see EVERYONE.. I am going to go to the State Fountain Bakery for most of the day on Thursday and sit outside and do nothing but read and hopefully have great conversations, so please if you would like to talk, this want you to come by and see me!

I will be in Starkville until I fly out at 2:35 on Sunday, so I will leave Starkville around 1pm central... I hope to see as many people as possible and have as much fun as possible!

CAN NOT WAIT, but before I leave, tonight, I have to: do laundry, pack, play BMDL dodgeball, and have dinner with some great friends.. I am busy but so excited for the good ole MSU and Super Bulldog Weekend!!

A "moment"...

I used to tell people I had "Mississippi State Moments" all the time in college. It is actually a common happening on campus, where you just realize you were right in a place and in a moment where all the circumstances are pretty much perfect. Like sitting at Dudy Noble on a Sunday afternoon and it is 77 degrees with shorts and a long sleeve shirt and chacos watching the Dawgs with a slight breeze with great friends and sunflower seeds. Or walking across campus on the perfect Spring afternoon and it happens to be 12:15 and you are done with class for the day and the chapel bells begin playing a song... those are moments...

Well the reason I just went on that nostalgic journey is because I just had a weird moment here.. I have them all the time here at camp as well, but I just had a moment where I realized all the circumstances in my life are just set up to the way I need them right now. I came across this by Facebook stalking my boss and his family when going to tell him Happy Birthday, he turns 30 tomorrow.. His family is great, Black Mountain is great, My job is great, God is great... my life is pretty much great right now. I really should be in a state of panic right now with life and having really no clear direction in where my "career" lies, but as of today and right now, I am ok with my life, the people I am surrounded by and became extremely sad that it cannot stay just like this forever.. and by the way it is also a perfect circumstance that I am flying into Starkville in pretty much 5 days.. so i am able to not be so sad about not being there, which amplifies my serenity in life right now..

Life is good. God is good. Hail State.


Seth

Lake Ridgecrest to the Rescue!

So i took a blog break for a while.. and it was needed.. life is going very uniquely for lack of a better word here lately.. having some hard times as well as some great ones. My eyes have been opened to alot here lately of how I function as a person and how to be aware of others. I have also really received some self affirmation here lately, that I am a loving/caring/thoughtful person, and I have thought that as a weakness some here lately, but I was given those gifts from my Creator to use in relationships I create everyday. And that is what we are called to do, love, build relationships, and share friendships, with as many people as possible. That is a strength of mine.

Anyway.. yesterday we had some forest fires in the area and I was going to post a video of the rescue helicopters coming down to dip water out of our lake here at Ridgecrest to deliver to the fire.. it was freaking sweet..

ignore the commentary, i was excited.. haha

The end of the Challenge...

Well it is over.. the "Blog Everyday about what God is teaching you in Life" challenge from my boss. It is funny to think back on how I felt when I was given this challenge and how I did not want to do it or was at least hesitant, but now I look back at the last 31 days and 28 posts in those days with a few days where I was excused, and I am glad I was given this challenge. If nothing else, it has taught me to look for stuff that God is teaching me daily more diligently and I am going to be forever grateful for that. I will also continue to be vulnerable on here at times, but also excited about the mindless mind explosions I will have on here as well from now on out. I will enjoy not having pressure to do this everyday and hopefully continue to open up at leisure. So thanks for putting up with all the rants and raves and attempts at posting something worth posting.

Know God is working in my life and I hope he is working in yours. I am extremely excited about everything He is doing...


Love God. Love People. Hail State.

Grace and Peace,
Seth

Nothing worth noting...

Today was one of those days..

I will be honest, I woke up late, for the 2nd day in a row, got to work 5 minutes late, it was a busy day here in the office, then right after work I went to eat in Asheville, then played Dodgeball (good effort team Ridgecrest.... next time), just got back to the office to remember I needed to blog.. well I have nothing really that great to say, i could say something extremely generic about thank you God for this amazing day, but, although I do thank Him for that, im not gonna attempt to build it up into some momentus blog post. So anyway, I do have a thing I dont usually do, I ask for some prayer, we are nearing the end of hiring here at Camp.. a very limited number of spots are left for counselors, and we are searching for the best Outdoor Adventure Program Staff out there.. So if you Climb/Mtn. Bike/and-or are experienced at Low Ropes and love kids and Jesus.. let me know and apply!!! anyway, I also have a lot of other stuff going on.. so I ask for prayer that I can seek God's discernment and guidance in all of these things, and that I don't get too busy for Him as I seem to do a good bit.. so thanks for that.. I will leave you all alone now.. I only have 1 more day of this Challenge.. I hate that I had nothing good or profound today.. so maybe i'll do well tomorrow!! ha.. and then I will go back to posting intermittently throughout the rest of the year. Thanks guys..

Love God. Love People. Hail State.

Grace and Peace,
Seth

Friends are good

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17

I have great friends, I know this. But here lately, I have realized how great they are and how amazing it is that God has blessed me with these friendships. So the catalyst that sparked this overflow of thanks for friends was a great skype conversation I had tonight with David, Kori, Amber, and Blake along with some other cameos from some good Starkvillians... I just am so thankful for good Christian friends that have so much in common with myself and each other.. As the proverb says above, I feel everytime I talk to them i am "sharpened" and renewed in life if not faith. I am thankful everyday for friends and family who also follow my Savior.

Grace and Peace,
Seth

Pictures as promised!

Everytime I go hiking around here and see the beautiful scenery that reminds me of our Creator, I think about Psalm 121--"I will lift my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?; My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and of earth" (v. 1-2)

Gotta love that.. and the documentation of my awesome home (and surrounding trails)

Rattlesnake Mtn. Hiked on Wednesday..





A couple from Catawba hiked on Saturday..


Love God. Love People. Hail State


Grace and Peace,
Seth

Another great day in His creation..

Woke up this morning and it was another great day to be outside, so Kathleen, Sharon, and I decided to head on out to Catawba Falls, a nearby series of waterfalls that is about a 2ish hour hike from camp... Well it should be 2 hours, but I allowed Kathleen and Sharon to lead the way, because I had never been to Catawba (another RC sin) and they led us on a journey on the way there, I won't say we were lost, but we definitely blazed our own trail and luckily found our way there, pictures will be posted later.. but even when I was crawling under trees or wading through the creek, I was so happy to be where I was and where I am honestly. I love living up here and praise God for the opportunity, yet again for such a great setting in life to figure things out while serving this amazing camp... I feel like I post that a lot on here, but how great it is to get constant affirmation that you are where God wants you and following him and enjoying his creation day after day.. I for one, love it.


Love God. Love People. Hail State.


Grace and Peace,
Seth

Fully Known

The theme for our summer here at Ridgecrest is Fully Known.. so that we can teach the kids about being fully known by God and striving to fully know Him. Today as I was writing a quiet time for the kid's quiet time guides I "rediscovered" something that is just amazing...

When trying to explain to the kids how to know Him and about how He knows us so well I was using Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female He created them."

Isn't amazing that we can know God and He knows us because we are in His image.. comforting..


Grace and Peace,
Seth

Book update

Well you will be proud to know that I am still reading the book "Scouting the Divine" and still liking it... I have finished the part about Shepherding and Farming. I have now moved on to the part about Beekeeping. In my reading this week, it explains all the "roles" that the bees play in the hives.. first off I learned that there are anywhere between 50-75 THOUSAND bees in each hive. But each bee has a certain duty in the hive that keeps it going. Anywhere from the guard bees protecting the hive to the "fanning" bees that fly around fanning the queen and honey to keep the hive at a good temperature. The tie in to our Christian Lives and even lives in general.. The book goes into how we each serve a specific purpose and have received certain traits or spiritual gifts to serve our part of the Body of Christ. I find that my purpose in life is people and service to those people. When it comes to camp for example and where I am in life right now, I feel that my spiritual strength is leadership and being with people and the programming side of camp. I love to do the manual labor and the fixing of things and administrative part of camp, but I recognize I am not the absolute best at that stuff. I have found my strength is fixing the programming things, hiring and interacting with the staff. As it states in 1 Corinthians 12, we are all a part of the body of Christ, do your part for the betterment of the Body as a whole. I find myself at times envying someone else's "role" and trying to do it and failing. We need to pray that God reveals our gifts and roles to help further His Kingdom. Right now in life, I know mine and strive and pray that I will be able to help in this small part of His ministry as a bee does in a hive.. and btw.. how cool is it that our lives are able to be compared to that of what goes on in a beehive.. Our God is awesome.. and really good at what he does..


** I have a special prayer request today, for whomever reads this.. One of my closest friends in life and a Godly woman who helped get me through college and to be the person I am today, Lauren Phillips, received some pretty tragic news today of her father passing away in a helicopter crash. He was piloting the copter back to the Memphis area after dropping off a patient and I dont know all the details, but crashed and perished. Please pray for Lauren and her family, through this really hard time that I cannot begin to imagine, to continue to rely on God and his sovereignty in everything. Thanks.


Grace and Peace,
Seth

This is the day that the Lord hath made...

I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Today was glorious weather wise. I was able to actually take advantage of living in such an amazing place that our Lord has created. After work (which while at work I got to be outside some today, not a lot but even just a small amount in this weather is glorious) I went hiking with a friend from the conference center.. We hiked up to the Rattlesnake Summit, which I had never been to, which is very unusual being a seasoned Ridgecrest veteran.. It has arguably the best view of any campsite or summit around here, luckily, the trailhead is just across the interstate from me! I had this great plan to post some of the pictures I took from being up there and then tell how much just being in God's creation is such a medicine and soothing thing for me, but as i plug in my camera to upload the pictures, my camera dies.. so sorry, I shall post some pictures of my own later, but I will leave you with one that a friend took last year or the year before of the same lookout. But we should rejoice in the beauty that God has created all around us.. find him in each day, i'm learning to find him even in the small things, although the summit today was a big one!


Love God. Love People. Hail State!

Grace and Peace,
Seth

A Servant's Goal

I am trying to learn about becoming more of a servant, and doing it with no selfish tendencies, I see it everyday around me in life, especially where I work.. and even when I was in school at State, there are people everywhere with servant's hearts and that encourages me to become a person with a total servant's heart for Him.

A verse of encouragement:
2 Cor. 5:9
"We make it our aim.. to be well pleasing to Him"

Just something to chew on and think about while being a servant for His Kingdom

--I am now headed to Charlotte for the evening (yes driving there and back in one night) to hear Ingrid Michaelson and Matt Kearney in Concert!!! I am happy about this, but sad that I will be missing my dodgeball game.. you have to trade some things sometimes!


Love God. Love People. Hail State.


Grace and Peace
Seth