I like this cat.

So the other night, one of my friends, Hunter Sandoval, was trying to expose me to Pinterest (I'm not even going to question why he likes Pinterest).  As soon as we pulled up the site, this picture was on the homepage.

I appreciate pictures that inspire emotion.  This is the time of picture that makes people sad and really happy at the same time.  I'm just a little obsessed with this picture.  It's now my iPhone wallpaper and I like to show random people.  Don't judge me.

Day 4: When did you struggle?

May 2011
I had just spent the past ten months being a music education major and studying voice. For the first time in my life, I started hearing a difference in the sound of my voice, and I liked it.  I liked it a lot.  Suddenly, I could sing a long with all my Broadway CDs...and it sounded good. But you know, pride comes before the fall.
After months of anticipation, I was finally at CentriKid staff training.  My first day of training was a full day of rehearsal for the skits that were a main part of mornings at camp.  Having a passion for acting my entire life, I was so blessed to be able to do what I loved in ministry.
My character: Bread Beard the pirate.  What do pirates sound like?  Well of course, they have a rough, gravely voice.

That day during rehearsal, I noticed my throat hurting.  The next morning, I couldn't speak.  Two days later, my voice still was not back.  During training, it was obvious that my voice would never get a rest with all the yelling I would be doing over the summer.  I began to hear horror stories of the voices of staffers never being the same after camp...even of staffers not being able to sing.
I was stressed about my voice.  Boy, was I dumb.  I was so focused on myself that I never stopped to think that maybe God was teaching me something through this struggle.
Fortunately for me, I think God was determined to humble me.
The first week of camp started, and my voice was still not back to normal, but I was determined to push through.  The first day of camp was full of energy and I gave everything I had to welcome the kids.  However that night, I returned to the staff apartments and started feeling funny.
The next morning, I was completely sick. My head was spinning, my chest was full of gunk, and yes, I couldn't speak.   I didn't know if I could get out of bed, let alone act, lead recreation, and everything else that I had to do that day.

Immediately, it became obvious that I couldn't do it on my own.
God completely humbled me by showing me how absolutely weak and insignificant I was. There is absolutely no way that I could have made it through that week of camp without God being completely in control of my actions.   That day, I found the verse that would lead me through the whole summer.

"Fear not for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will help you.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

I am so grateful that God revealed this to me that first week of camp.  Through my weakness, God's glory was revealed.
You know, God doesn't need us for anything.  But He loved us enough to allow us to be his servants.  We are so blessed to be able to be tools of His and to spread the Gospel for Him.
But, we can only effectively do that when we get over ourselves and allow Him to take over our lives.

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the  power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Day 3: What books did you read?

Let me start off by saying I love books, but unfortunately, I'm not a big reader.  I want to be, I really do.  I could spend hours in Barnes and Noble and want to buy everything on the shelf.  My bookshelf at home and school and full of awesome literary works and theological authors.  But I just don't have the time to read.

So when thinking of the books I have read this year, I've come up short.   However, I did read a few.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

My favorite book of all time!  Since reading this in 12th grade, I've read it at least four times.  The wonderful Emily Godby bought me a copy of it during the summer, and I read it on the weekends of camp.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book was given to me for "Christmas" by one of my dearest friends, Brittany Denson. As part of camp, we were given secret Santas, and I believe I had the best one!  As soon as I was home from camp, I started this book and could not put it down.  It made the week between camp and school interesting!

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

I'd be lying if I said I have read this book.  It has been my goal to read it this semester, but I've failed.  After four months of attempting to read it, I've made it to chapter two.  Lewis has simple, yet extraordinarily deep commentary on the essence of Christianity.  One of my goals is to finish this by the end of the year.

Day 2: Who did you meet?

Not only in 2011, but over the past 14 months of my life, God has brought so many awesome people in my life since being in college.  The relationships I've formed over the past year have been deeper than I ever have had before.   I wish I could name every person who has come into my life this past year, but that'd be impossible, and I'm sure I'd leave someone amazing out.  So I'll just talk about two groups of people that I am so thankful I met this year.

CK7
The first day of training for CentriKid, I had no clue that the Lord would use this group of 19 people to challenge and encourage me like I never have before.  The friendships I made this summer will last my entire life and I know that God is going to continue to use these people in my life.

Shawreth Rush Class 2011

I am so thankful that God brought this new group of guys to Misssissippi College and led them to be apart of Shawreth.  At the beginning of the year, I was prideful enough to think that I would be impacting their lives as an upperclassmen, when in fact, they have truly impacted me!  It is truly an honor to call these guys brothers.

Everyone else.

Ultimately, I'm just really blessed that God has allowed my path to cross so many other's paths this year. From the new MC freshmen to the kids and adults at camp, thanks for making my life great!

Here's a random assortment of awesome people I've met this year:

Oh...and I also met Cathy Rigby.  Boo-yah.

Day 1: Where did 2011 Start?

2011 started in my aunt's living room playing "Just Dance 2" with my amazing family.  New Year's Eve is a huge tradition on my dad's side of the family.  The whole crew gets together, eats, and sets off a firework show better than any Waynesboro has ever seen.

Now where was I in other ways?     I was changing.
...God was rocking my world and showing me how immature I was in my faith.
...I was realizing I needed to start figuring out what it means to be a man of God.
...I started learning it wasn't God's plan for me to be a music major, but that He was calling me to something else.
...I started considering applying for a camp called CentriKid.
...I was missing MC and started realizing that it wasn't just my school, it was now my home.
...it hit me how legit the people God brought in my life are.

It's crazy to see how much God has rocked my world over the past year.  I look at journal entries I wrote at the beginning of the year and wonder if I'm even the same person sometimes.  It's so cool to see how awesome God is and how he has grown me in 2011.

Day 5: What did you discover?

I feel like I have changed more this year than any year in my life.  With that, so many discoveries have happened. Here a few of the ones I can think of while lying on the couch:

In 2011, I have discovered that...
...I am not called to be a music major.
...I Kissed Dating Goodbye is a horrible book.
...God had been preparing me my whole life to work CentriKid.
...I should always bring Q-tips to OMC to get shaving cream out my ears.
...I cannot be in two, three, or four places at once.
...I can be comforted in the fact that God has called me to do something, though I haven't discovered what that is yet.
...It's okay not to be involved and in charge of every single thing.
...It's not okay to not give 100% in everything I am involved in.
...Being intentional with people is not just a camp thing, it's a life thing.
...Accountability is so important in Christian relationships with people.
...I cannot do everything alone.  I have to get over myself and let someone help me.
...Pinelake is the church God has called me to get involved with.
...Cups has a student coffee for $1.44.
...God has blessed me with amazing people in my life.

This is no where near an exhaustive list of all the things I have discovered this past year, but I can say each one of these has shaped me into the Micheal Walley I am right now.

#Reverb11

So as everyone knows, I am an ultimate failure at blogging.  Every time I say I'm going to start being consistent, I usually get distracted and never end up writing a post.  I'm going to try to change that for my semester in London and use this blog as a way of updating everyone back in the States.

A few people I know in the CentriKid loops are participating in something called "Reverb 2011."  It is basically an online reflection of the year 2011.  I will be using a list of prompts for each day in December to reflect on the amazing year God has given me.  I'm a few days behind, so I will start today and (hopefully) catch up on the last few days during the month.   You all know how I am, so any encouragement to keep this up will be appreciated!

1. Where did 2011 begin?
2. Who did you meet?
3. What books did you read?
4. When did you struggle?
5. What did you discover?
6. Who was important to you?
7. What do you hope to remember?
8. Where did you spend money?
9. When were you most scared?
10. What questions did you ask?
11. Who surprised you?
12. What did you learn?
13. When did you feel the most relaxed?
14. Where did you leave a mark?
15. What movies did you see?
16. What did you accomplish?
17. When were you the most grateful?
18. Who touched your heart?
19. Where did you visit?
20. When did you cry?
21. Where did you spend your time?
22. What were your favorite songs?
23. Who did you miss?
24. When did you take the easy way?
25. Where did you eat?
26. Which blogs did you enjoy most?
27. When did you celebrate?
28. What are your dreams for next year?
29. Who will attract into your life?
30. What do you want to do in 2012?
31. Where do you hope to be on Jan 1, 2013?