5.11?

I led a 5.10 route today. No kidding, I striaght up led the thing. I climbed it two weeks ago on TR, but today, I walked up to it and climbed the dang thing. It was pretty much amazing.
I then got uber ambitious and took on an 11a/b. It was considerably harder and the crux totally pitched me off. I can see that I am getting better, not so much stronger, but really better.

It is a shame the general public can not enjoy the sport of climbing. Honestly, there is nothing quite like doing something really really hard, learning to make your mind and body do things its never done, pushing yourself to the limits and watching those limits move.

Last night I got a $40 parking ticket at bible study. We had just got done talking about joy and not letting anything get in the way of that joy, be it worrying, disagreements, etc. I walk out and what do you know, Satan is trying to crap on that joy, trying to crush it inside of me with unfortunate events. I didn't have the strength to maintain joy on my own. I had to pray about it and trust God to keep that joy safe, trust Him to guard my heart.

And yet again, He saves the day. He never fails and although the problem with the ticket has not been resolved, He is faithful and will bring me through.

I hope that one day, I will be in a position that Satan must use great things to crush the joy in me. I don't really know what, but I hope that through climbing and school and family whatever else He chooses to use God produces in me more and more perseverence so that I can press on toward the call to deny myself and take on His plan for the world and my life.

This is why I love hard things (climbing, fly fishing, engineering). They put me to a place I can no longer make it on my own. They constantly remind me of my limits keeping me humble and relying on the Holy Spirit inside of me to succeed.

God be honored.