I know I'm not very active in this guild and I seriously apologize for that, but with college and all... yeah.... I feel like God wanted me to share this with all y'all. This experience has seriously opened my eyes to faith in the moment, lived out in a rough situation.

So, my Five Iron Frenzy Concert experience was, to say the least, an adventure and a HUGE faith exercise.

I left Austin College at 4 got to the mall at 4:15, just in time to chase after and catch the bus to Parker Station in Plano. I from there took the DART to the West End, and then walked to the House of Blues, just to get my bearings. I then back tracked a little, got some Subway, and went back to the House of Blues for the concert. Although I had a way there and a way back I didn't have a place to stay so I thought I'd talk around and see if anyone was willing to let me stay with them for the night.

House of Heroes opened up at Seven, quite punktually, (There's a PUNk in there. two actually now.) and they were fairly good. Mid set, during one of the breaks there was a marriage proposal onstage, which, was actually not that cheesy. Some yelled things like "Don't do it," or "It's a Trap!" but despite that she did say yes. The rest of their set was fairly nice.

Then came Mike Herrera of MxPx. He played some acoustic stuff, which was really cool, as his voice is a perfect mix of Billy Joe Armstrong and Mike Ness, so it worked perfectly. Then he had some of HoH's members come on to do some old school MxPx stuff like Responsibility, which was fun.

Then came Five Iron Frenzy, what we were all waiting for. They opened up with some old stuff, such as One Girl Army, and Cool enough for you, but also some new stuff like Hope Still Flies, and The Art of Xenophobia. Each new song they prefaced with the same phrase, "this is a new song. We hope you hate it." This basically summed up their entire night. Amazing and hilarious, from the dancing and moshing, to their onstage antics, either while playing or between songs their set was fantastic. They finished up with, as always, Every New Day, which is always VERY powerful. And then, because they're "Not like all those other old guys" they finished, because they are just like all those other old guys. And Andy had hurt himself at work so....

So although I had talked with people, and shared my plight with them, I couldn't find anyone who would let me stay at their place, so I began my search.

I started at Crowne Plaza which had a room, but it was $109 plus tax, then to Marriot which was full, so I went back to Crowne Plaza, about to take the room, but SURPRISE! No rooms for anyone under 21! Woopdee doo! Yeah not at all. So They told me about another hotel, the Lawrence hotel, which allowed under 21's to get rooms. So I went and they were full. I was sorta glad as they were sorta sketchy lookin' so I did get out of that one, but I still needed a place. So I checked a shiny light up hotel that was even more expensive, then went back to Crowne plaza to see if I could pay to sleep on their couch. They wouldn't let me.

At this point I had sat down and cried about twice, at my wit's end, just hoping and praying that God would provide. I asked two cops on bicycles if there was any place I could go, and they gave me the directions to a homeless shelter that I could sleep outside of, as it was closed. So I followed their directions. Go down the street, right on St. Paul, and then left on Corsicana, but as I reached St. Paul, I saw a beacon of hope; a red S with a wreath around it. Sheraton! One last try at a hotel. So I went, got in line to get a room at 12:20 at night, and struck up a conversation with someone who also happened to be from my hometown. We talked until it was my turn to get up to the desk. I talked with the lady and said it was 159, but I could get it cheaper if I called and got a reservation, so I left, forsook the reservation and just laid down to sleep in a corner of the expansive lobby.

I was awoken, by one of the managers who kindly asked if he could help me. I told him my plight, and he paused. Under my breath I uttered a short prayer. I was grasping for the phrase, "God give me favor with this man", but those words weren't in my mind. All that I could come up with, in the silence was, "God, give me grace." The pause continued for a second and then he looked at me and said, "come with me."

He led me to a corner of the lobby and said I could sleep there until 5 in the morning, at which point I would have to leave. I thanked him, laid down, and before I drifted off, thanked the God who was so amazingly providing for me, in the most unlikely of circumstances.

I woke at five, and left to see a Maserati outside of the hotel, just parked there. There was definitely some staring, some gawking, and praising the God who knew me so very well.

I walked around for an hour or so, trying to find a bathroom, and eventually asked back at the Crowne Plaza if I could use their restroom. They obliged. So I utilized it... for an hour long nap. I woke up at seven, and took the DART back to Parker station in Plano to see if the TAPS, the shuttle back to Sherman was running. the answer I got from the sign was a vague no? so I ventured back, talking with Keith, my old youth pastor who lives in Tyler, trying to get lunch sorted out, when I came back hung around, and then ventured back to Parker to ask the stationmaster if the TAPS was running on weekends. It wasn't, but parked on the rails was a train, whose destination sign read one word; VICTORY. I took the DART back to Dallas, sure that somehow God would bring victory out of this whole ordeal.

I had lunch with Keith, his wife and his daughter,and then enjoyed part of the day adventuring through Dallas with them.

As we parted ways I took the DART back to Parker, one last time, this time, with phone dying, trying to contact people in an effort to get a ride. No one was left except for one dude, Jesse. So at the station, I called him, unsure my phone would last, and got a yes! It was fantastic! I sat down, weary and tired from the twenty four hour adventure I had been on, and I asked God, "Is this all over now?" A few seconds later I received a text from my friend Danya, "Yes :)" I didn't know what she intended it to mean, or if it was even for me from her, but I knew that was God's answer to my question. It was all done! An hour later, Jesse pulled up, and I finally got back to my dorm, tired, but with my faith truly tested.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I went through a testing of faith, but God provides. Even when the odds are stacked against you, God finds a way. Just trust. He will provide, and your faith will grow. There were many times when I was afraid, and unsure, but God provide, and I became accustomed to it. I had never really trusted God for immediate needs before, but by this morning I knew that God would bring what I needed. This is not my story but His! Trust in him, when all else fails. He will find a way when you can't!