"remember that time..."

last week of camp...

holy cow, i thought this week would never actually get here. but here we are, sitting at approximately 10,000 feet above sea level in the Colorado Rockies. and man, oh man, is it gorgeous. AND COLD! we tried to sit out tonight and watch for shooting stars, but i started shivering and got really cold. i think the official low was like 45, 50 degrees. but the stars were beautiful. i love being out in God's goodness. it completely overwhelms me sometimes when i look up and stare and think "wow. You did all that, for me. just for people like me to look up and say 'what an amazing God that he would create such a great canvas of artwork for me.'" it's funny cause i definitely wouldn't mind sittin' out here on the roof for the next five days, but we still have to do CAMP. there are 800 more kids for me to keep tellin' about Jesus and one more week to keep them from dying on the rec fields.

its weird that my summer is coming to an end. may 25 in talledega, alabama seems like a lifetime ago. i really do now have a 25-member family. people that are a little crazy but i love with all my heart and can't believe that after friday, there will never be a time when all 25 of us are together in the same place ever again. it's like God has thrown us all together in this moment, in this time, to learn from each other what it means to fall in love with Jesus.

the end of camp brings on a mixture of emotions. i really am sad to be leaving, but have never been more ready to get back home. it's funny, cause on may 24, i couldn't WAIT to get out of the little town that i've lived in for the past 21 years. but i am very thankful for my home now, and all those who are waiting... patiently (and not so patiently)... for me to come back home. i miss my parents, my family, my kids at manley, my roommate, AND MY DOG. i miss waking up to miley dog every morning and can't wait to fight for my place in the bed with her again. :D

going home has its own mixed feelings in return... i feel like i've taken a time out from life for the past three months and it'll be not so easy getting thrust back into the real world. back to the ginormous paper that i've put off all summer, back to school and attempting to get accepted into PT school, back to dealing with my family and my granddad's cancer. back to taking care of people instead of being the one being taken care of. but i feel that i've grown a lot this summer and God's at my side now (or i've finally drawn back to His) and He's prepared me to take on my world again. i have a new sense of purpose, of vigor, of self-discipline. hopefully, that will help with every trial i have waiting on me back home.

well, we're all snuggling up in front of our fireplace (seriously, we need one, it's so cold) watching a movie in our AMAZING cabin. for those of you reading...i'll be home in 5 days. can't wait to see you!

WHAT. A. DAY.

so let me preface what i am about to say with a quick look at how my day went:

woke up late, didn't get to go run...
at staff meeting this morning found out that:
a. the sound board was frozen
b. the genies that lift up our front lights were both broken
c. our camp pastor's flight had been delayed

kasey and i went to do our pre-registration duties with bo and listened as he tried to rent us a soundboard, they didn't have any like ours.
found out that about half of our signs that we usually put out went missing
found out that camp pastor's flight had been delayed again, as well as our supervisor's flight.
registration, kasey and i got the cops called on us as we tried to park and greet about 57 churches all with multiple vans and youth ministers.
found out that the truck that was delivering the rented soundboard had a flat tire
found out that camp pastor's flight had been delayed for a third time and would not make it to celebration
found out that supervisor's flight had been cancelled and he couldn't come til wednesday.
kasey and i again had the cops come by and reprimand us for blocking the public bus stop (this was because we had moved to where he had told us to go...go figure.)
survive the rest of registration and when we go back to pick up all the signs we put out, found out that two of them had been stolen during the day...

needless to say, we were quite happy to skip dinner and just head back to the apartments for some peace. i tried to gear myself up for worship as best i could and headed in just completely exhausted. then dr. robert smith just totally rocked my socks off...well, i guess God did more through him, but he is seriously one of the better communicators i've heard, and definitely the best i've heard all summer. and so God and me had a little heart to heart last night, and through the message, this is what He revealed to me:

The heroes of our faith (those names you learn early in Sunday School: Abraham, David, those guys) were all obviously used in a big way by God. And i think that the cool part is, these guys didn't know they were going to be heroes. The were just being obedient and taking the next step of faith. But when God called them to step up to the plate, it wasn't their first time hearing from God. They had already become familiar with God's voice. The Bible...well, David, addresses this in 1 Samuel, right before he went and killed Goliath. David had prepared himself in the quietness of the fields for battle in front of his entire nation.

okay, enough deep thoughts for one night... that's just enough to chew on. staff devos start early tomorrow! night world!