That's Not How We Do In Iowa

The much delayed post-Feast blog on what was quite possibly the Best. Feast. Ever.

This Feast, more than any other I've been a part of, was about the sermons and their spiritual impact than it was about all the people in Copper Mountain, Colorado. The amount of young people who were there and the fellowship that came resulted from it was a definite plus. All around it was a great year. Of course this Feast was memorable from the things that were talked about to the intense physical football that was played to the new friends that we made. I will highlight the quotes or events that made Copper Mountain '06 a great year.

"We're building 4 more towers!" - Line from the remix of "Welcome To Atlanta" as we rolled to the Feast and continued building more analogies to the War on Terror.

"B-B-Q" - Singlehandedly THE line from the past two Feasts. Referring to anything you do with someone from the opposite sex. It was great to see more people use the term and poke fun at each other.

"I just want some ice cream" - What Kristen Lewis called the guys' counterattack to "brain chemistry" (more below). It involves the talking, the phone calls, the walks that two people can share at any time. Pretty much refers to acts of kosherness between a guy and a girl )

"Brain Chemistry" - The two most dreaded words I have ever heard in my life:) It was coined by the resident Canadian, Kristen Lewis. When things went wrong I used it myself and blamed everything on brain chemistry. Plus, it was the perfect answer for one of the silly questions in the 4,000 questions book. Apparently there is a chemical reaction in the brains of two people but it is not enhanced by getting an A in chemistry while in school. It is just something that clicks somehow :)

"Your fundamental flaw is that you're Canadian" - Richard's brilliant line to Kristen one night at the Feast. And like other amazing quotes, it was re-used by many :)

"They are left-wing, liberal, communist, pinkos" - Mr. Meredith describing the United States' media and their portrayal of the news during his Opening Night message :)

"I want to be Jeremy and I want you to be my Kristin" - Philosophy made up by Richard in which we take Jeremy's success in the relationship area and apply it to our own lives and situation.

"We're breaking the rules" - A line that was used many a times during the Feast to poke fun at 2 people with a unique past :) It is not to be used indiscriminately though as it has repercussions.

"That's not how we do in Iowa" - My response to the scoring system that was employed while playing Taboo with the girls one afternoon. It seems to me that every time I've played that game the rules change depending on the people involved. Oh well, it was fun.

"20%???!!! Who in the world leaves a 20% tip? That is prepostorous!!!" - My response to Kristin Vorel's clue on trying to get the word "Tip" while playing Taboo. She said, "it is customary to give 20%" and it is now part of the lingo me and her employ when we speak to each other.

"There will NOT be a democracy in Iraq" - Mr. Meredith commenting on the state of the Middle East. It is also a quote we have used in our analogy in the War on Terror.

"The FLAW" - Ryan and his brilliant philosophy!

"In what world???" - Richard expressing frustration at a certain topic during guys' night.

Along with these quotes there were many events and moments that stood out. The Six Flags outing was quite a success and a big thank you and show of gratitude goes out to Kyle and the effort he put into it. I am sure he lost some sleep and some sanity in organizing the event but it went off without a hitch. It was a wonderful time and there was some definite bonding time with the 8 other people in the Armada :) Plus, we got to witness and partake of Jeremy's 4 illegal driving maneuvers on the day. Truly one of life's greatest joys!

Playing tackle football was also a challenging adventure. The altitude definitely presented a challenge in playing consistently but it was fun. The hits were brutal, the bruises can prove it, but the fun was priceless. Even some of the girls got into the action and did pretty well. I saw some great catches and some awesome tackling. I think Josh can attest to that :)

It was also encouraging to meet new people and actually spend time with them. I also got to know certain people better and had some enlightening conversations with them. It is always a plus to get to know someone beyond their face, name, and location. This was the poorest year for me financially but the most rewarding spiritually.

I think it should also be mentioned how we handled ourselves at the Feast. We got together many times and enjoyed a drink or two but it never got out of hand. I have to say I was proud of all of us young people and how courteous we were to each other. Way to go guys! I hope ya'll Feast was as great as it was for the people in Colorado.