Skeptics say what you will, the new Coldplay is GREAT. So many of the songs just make me feel awesome. They may not make me cry like “Amsterdam”, and they may not pleasantly haunt me like “Sparks” or “We Never Change”, but they have a whole new feel that really makes happy. “Lost!” is seriously so great, as is “Lovers in Japan”. Every song continues to grow on me. X & Y was a lot harder for me to come to love!  I only wish the album was a bit longer because it will probably be a couple years before the next one.

Now that the friendly review is over, let me tell you a bit about my new excitement and tragedy. Anyone who ever was a part of Jubilee probably knows Debbie Camp.  She’s GREAT. I remember being in High School thinking she was way cute, but I knew she was older and out of my league, so we were always just friends, right? I was probably closer with her brother Donny, actually.  Donny is great.  Now he has gauged ears which is a little weird, but doesn’t actually surprise me at all.  Anyway, I was playing drums for Jubilee’s summer camp like I did last year, and just before one of the services I was standing behind the soundboard for some reason when Gina Wood (youth pastor Johnathan Wood’s way cool wife) came up to me and said in an oh-so-middle schoolish way “Hey you know who you should like?”  I laughed, half expecting that some high school girl had talked her into saying something to me because she couldn’t get up the guts to go talk to that nerdy drummer (I’m dreaming).  But instead when I asked her who I should like she said Debbie Camp.  My response was something along the lines of “Well YEA. But isn’t she way older than me?”  Turns out Debbie just turned 20, as I just turned 19.  The age distance is negligible anyway.  Sean will proudly agree.

So I boldly went over and sat by her during service, and it was fun.  Later we started texting.  Then talking on the phone a lot, which is better than texting and someone should tell my sisters that before they forget how to talk.  Turns out…SHE LIKES ME.  Who woulda known?  So last night I drove down to Denver to hang out with her.  We rode the light rail to downtown and adventured through the Hyatt, riding the insanely fast elevator to floor 37 to be rewarded with the view at the top.  Then we walked around through the city some more, got Icees, and watched a guy do spray paint art (which was sick, but Debbie tells me they are way better at it in Mexico where she’s basically from). We also infiltrated the conference center at the Sheraton Hotel, dodging security and stealing Jolly Ranchers from presentation rooms where we wrote about Jesus on the little pads of paper in the dark.  We also sat in a giant couch in the lobby for about 45 minutes and talked about everything.  She taught me some Spanish.  We became Vatos Locos and laughed the whole night.  It was more fun than I’ve had with a girl ever before!  She’s never had a boyfriend.  My last girlfriend was two and a half years ago in High School and I’ve waited for someone this good ever since.  The scenario is golden.

But in classic JD love-life style, it come with complication seemingly insurmountable.  She moves to Las Vegas in the beginning of July to plant a church with Johnathan and Gina Wood of Jubilee.  She’s had dreams about it.  She’s been praying about it for months.  She’s definitely doing it.  JD on the other hand, just moved into Fort Collins permanently, signed a year-long lease, and registered for too many Summer and Fall classes to back out of.  So at least for now, we are very separate.  I’m praying a lot about it, and so is she.

The amazing part is that this all still happened, regardless (lift and separate) of its characteristically awful timing.  So I’m still way excited.  I’m gonna let this be whatever it is (Sean said that earlier about his new love adventure).  I don’t wanna stop this new exciting thing for the sake of a 13 hour drive between us.  But I don’t want to be something that gets in the way of her mission work in Sin City either.  The relationship is young, wherever it stands, and the time is short for making some big decisions.  Any wisdom in the form of comments is very welcomed, as always.