Glimpses of the most recent year of Clay's life...

A year has gone by and I find my self bored at 2:22am the week before school starts needing to find something to do until I work off the energy I gained from my nap earlier tonight while watching the Olympics.

So, because the last time I blogged for real was in Europe, I just want to let you know I did make it back to the US of A with only minor return culture shock. Which was cool.

Anyways, finishing up on Europe... after my pilgrimage to many important Lutheran sites in Germany and Rome and Athens I was ready to go home to a place where I understood their language and culture. The shocking thing to me was that I was thinking those thoughts on the flight from Greece to Paris. I had grown comfortable with France and la vie francaise. I spent a few last days with my Beautiful host family and euro friends then headed back to the states on my Birthday. My 22nd birthday was the longest of my life.

That summer I worked on the Murdock Ranch (home home) North of Malta, MT. I also visited my Dad and his side of the family in South Dakota.

I took classes again at UM, continued as a student leader for Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, and got my job at the front desk of the Quality Inn back.

I started dating Jen Reger (answer to question in previous blog.) I guess she took me as some suave and mysterious French (-speaking) guy that she only knew a little b4 i shipped off to France. She was the Art Major girl that helped me paint my house.

Then God rocked my world at Encounter Weekend. This was in the Fall. I took alot of down time in this knee-buckling time of my life, while God did some awesome things for me. Shook alot of people's hands and was floored at the things that were happening in my life. There were lots of ups and downs at this time of my life, but things have since become generally more stable. (ok lots of inside jokes there). Ok, writing about that makes me HAPPY.

I finished dating Jen Reger.

I have also decided to just finish up my French Degree and change my History Major to a Minor and to Drop out of the Honors College.

God planted the dream in my heart to go to Brazil and do Missions... So I have started to learn Portuguese!!! Please pray into that all...

This summer I didn't work much the first part of the summer. I wanted to do Construction, but that just didn't work out with me between going home for Cole's Graduation (my little Salutatorian Brother!!!), Visiting Ellie and Cathrine in NYC and a slower job market.

Kathleen, a platonic friend, informed me that she was moving in with me after graduation. This infact did happen and my life will never be the same again.

Alice, my best friend from France, came to visit me for a week in Missoula. We hung out, camped at glacier and relived our many memories from studying together in Highschool and Lyon.

But I did get an amazing job at the front desk of the Holiday Inn Downtown. There have been sooo many blessings in this job. I get tips, speak French like once a week, and meet famous people (Sawyer Brown band, the Prince of S. Africa stayed with us!)

Jess was back long enough to plan her wedding and get hitched to Tomas Strbavy. Just kind of a cute couple. We (including many who are reading this) had alot of fun seeing them again/for the first time before they had to head back to Slovakia Land.

I also started hanging out with some new friends, RaShelle Soper from Nebraska and Allie Harrison from Missoula. RaShelle and I recently went to a Revival like conference in Spokane. Soooo Good.

Murdock comes from Gaelic "Murchadh" meaning "Sea Warrior."

And to top it all off, Kenny Reichelt, another of my Best friends from Highschool moved in with me here at my aunt and uncle's. Together Kenny and I made up 100% of the male populaiton of our graduating class and 33% total.

Yours truely, Moist Dirt Scottish Sea Warrior Man.