IfYouGiveAMindensenABlog

Where has the time gone?!
This a time of many transitions for me. For those of you who didn't know, I'm currently back at school. I'm a sophomore at Trinity Christian College, studying Business.

The summer ended in a flurry of activities, and I ended my time at Lake Ellen road tripping back to IL with a fellow-coworker of mine (Grant). We followed two other co-workers (Katie and Corrinne) the long way home. Taking the route down through the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. I've never been across the Mackinac Bridge, or seen most of Northern-lower MI/most of the UP before thrn. It was an AMAZING trip. We took it in 3 days. It only takes 6hrs through WI, but I wanted to take the scenic route/make a few stops :)
Our (Grant and I's. Katie and Corrinne diverged from us about an hour before we got there) first night was spent at Cran-Hill Ranch, and we stayed with the Wickes. I hadn't seen the whole family in a little over 1/2 a year. It was nice seeing them again, and catching up. We had fun talking about our different summers, and our new camp experiences. One of the things I love most about Christian Camping is the unity or 'oneness' of purpose (sound familiar Britta **smile**)in the area of Christian Camping. It's exciting to hear how God is working in other places outside of the place you're at. God is SO GOOD, and has been doing some AMAZING things in Christian camps in Michigan, in the US, and around the world (yes, there are Christian camps around the world!).
We left from there for Bair Lake (my 'home-camp' so to speak), and stopped off in Grand Rapids for a quick visit with my brother and NEW sister-in-law (Nate and Tiffany HAMILTON!) at their new apartment. (I♥them!) I'm glad they were home and available. It was a quick stop, and we hadn't planned ahead to stop, so I'm glad they were around :)
So, no trip down 131 from GR is complete without introducing a newbie to B&G, the BEST discount store EVER. I purchased a white Australian, animal theme bandana there... ^^
Anywho, we arrived at Bair Lake in the late afternoon of our 2nd day, and I was able to stop and say 'hi' to a lot of the staff that was around. I was also able to quick swing out and grab STEPHANIE S who was still close by (school hadn't started yet). Unfortunately, my previous roommates/fellow lady-members of the Outfitter program, were not at camp when I was there. They were both with there families at 'home-home'. We had a nice stay none-the-less, and Stephen and I got to talk face-to-face for the first time in a about two months... I'll get back to him once I wrap-up the trip ;) Grant and I finished our trip the next day at my house, where we promptly switched cars in order to take my mom to the train station (long story), and then made it back to my house in time to meet his parents who had just arrived to pick him up (He's from 'southern' IL (technically CENTRAL), but we all know that anything south of Cook county in 'southern' IL right???) ^^ All in all, it was a GREAT trip. You should check out my Facebook for pictures... It was an even more AMAZING summer! God blessed and led in SO many ways! Praise Him!

Okay, back to Stephen. Stephen is one of my best friends, he was also one of my fellow Outfitters, and it has been awesome watching God build our friendship. Honestly, I tell people, we don't have a 'cute' story, but it's one in which God has been able to show Himself mighty. Just being co-workers made us have to work through some things, and learn to respect each-other on some level. We certainly have had our rough times (haven't we??? **smile**), but through it all, I've gained a great friend. I know that he's likely to read this so, I won't put anything in here that I haven't told him already...He's really been there for me, and has been a BIG encouragement to me over the last year. I'm very glad we're friends, and we plan to stay that way. So, yes, if you haven't picked up on it yet, Stephen and I are officially dating, but in all honesty, things don't seem all that much different. Which, I realize could be taken rather 'scandalously', but really all I mean is that we're FRIENDS, first and for most. We now just have a more specified purpose/goal in mind. He knows this, but I could see myself marrying him someday...for now though, we're just taking it one day at a time with God. He still has 1 more year in Outfitters (potentially 2-ish more years of school after), and I still have 3 years of school (as of right now). He lives in MI, and I live in IL... but it's been really good. God has been really good to us. May HE be glorified!

God is GOOD!♥

So, at long last, I'm going to finally sit down and try to put into writing the craziness, that has been defining my life the last couple of weeks... I can't believe it's only been about 4 weeks since my last post...

Anywho, prayer has certainly become a VERY necessary part of my life... My co-director and I pray every week night together for our campers, fellow staff members, and each other. With out prayers...aka without GOD, this summer would've been a big FLOP. As it is though, God has been doing some AMAZING things... He's provided words for BLTs (Bible Lesson Times), and has provided the right people to teach them (including me at times...which has been a growing experience in itself). He has gotten me through speakers I like, and speakers I'm not super comfortable with, but in the end, He has assured me of HIS sovereignty, and how each person is at camp for a reason... God can use all things for HIS glory and good! AMEN! He's given me words and strength when I had none. He's helped me talk to/pray through some difficult camper situations (home-sickness, anger, rebellion, SERIOUS spiritual warfare) God is FAITHFUL! He will NOT give us something we can't handle WITH HIM! We CAN do EVERYTHING through JESUS, and He IS there to walk us through the hard times.

This past week especially has been AMAZING! It was Sr.High week. Our last week of having actual campers (This coming week is a guest group, and then it's family camp). I LOVE High-Schoolers, and this past week was just an affirmation of the heart God has given me for that age group. I had such a GREAT week getting to know, talking with, hang-out with, praying with, and growing with my campers... God just ROCKED the place. I can't take ANY credit. Both my partner and I went into the week sick and exhausted, but God worked through our weakness, and showed Himself to be GREAT! I really grew to love my campers, and prayed for them like I've never prayed for people before... God also gave me a heart for the lost as I've never felt before, and I pray that the memory of that anguish will stay with me as I continue to live out my life in this broken and dying world. The speaker not only challenged my campers, but he challenged me as well... It was amazing to really witness God speaking through a person in such an incredible way... We had at least 3 campers make decisions to accept Jesus as their Savoir, and more rededicate their lives to Him. I'm SO excited to see what God is going to do in their lives.

The speaker ended the week telling us to go read Psalm 62, and WOW! God knew what He was saying when he placed that passage on his heart... "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken..." I pray my campers really take that to heart, and really find their security in the ONLY thing that can truly protect and take care of them... GOD!

Praise God for ALL that you have been doing! May you continue to be glorified in our lives!

God is GOOD!♥

First off, I'd like to apologize for my VERY non-creative titles as of late...but for right now, it's quite descriptive as this blog is about the month of June. I know that June is not quite over, but I feel the need to give an update before I forget...

June 12th was the day I started working at Lake Ellen. Until that day, I had never been North of WI (in regards to the MI/WI area)... I've now lived in the UP for almost 3 weeks, and I LOVE it!!! The nearest Walmart is 40mins. Every morning I get to wake-up and watch the early morning sun glisten off Lake Ellen. We're SURROUNDED by acres of a National Reservation, and the landscape is just BEAUTIFUL.

The camp itself has been going really well also. I am a Co-Area Director, and we're in charge or the Main summer program. Our camps range from 2n&3rd graders-High school students. My partner and I are responsible for creating the schedule for all 5 weeks of camp. It's been challenging, but we're learning lots. We're on our 3rd full day of our first week. There's been lots of rearranging and changing of plans, but we're learning and the campers are having a GREAT time. 5 of our 20 campers have already found Jesus this week. Praise God!

Please pray for energy, confidence, and opportunities to share Jesus with ALL the people who come on grounds this summer. Thank you all for your support encouragement.

God is GOOD! ♥

I feel like I've slightly summed up May in my 'Ode to 21', but at the same time as that was not strictly speaking a 'Newsletter' update, I will attempt to quickly sum-up the month of May now...

Camp-wise, the beginning of May=Mens' Retreat weekend. Which went amazingly well. It was Baseball themed, and the speaker was the Chaplin from the Detroit Tigers. From what I saw and heard it was a successful weekend. At the end of that weekend we had two people join 'the staff' as early-arrival summer workers. One, is officially apart of the Senior Staff on Maintenance, and the other will be 'Interning' this summer as 'The Nature Guy'. I'm excited to see how things go with the Nature Center this summer. He has a lot of GREAT ideas.
A week or so later, my fellow Outfitters and I left with the Stiles on a surprise trip to the Detroit area. It was AWESOME. We went to Greenfield Village, which I'd never been to before. We also got to stay at Sarah Stile's parents house. They were so welcoming. Spending time with her parents was DEFINITELY one of the highlights for me. We also visited the Detroit Holocaust museum, and spent one of the evenings in Greek time. We ended our surprising traveling by going to Shipshewana(sp?). We went to the Mennonite museum, and to the Flea-market (I've wanted to go there for awhile, it was great!) All-in-all, it was a fun time being together.

Another 'main event' was my launching party. Bair Lake exists as a launching pad for people to make Jesus Christ known to their communities and world. Therefore, since I was getting ready to 'graduate' from the discipleship program, it was thus dubbed as getting ready 'to launch'. I had ZERO part in the planning. They decided to completely surprise me, and I was certainly surprised. I made it almost through their entire 'surprise' breakfast without suspecting a thing...they had to tell me what was going on...I LOVE my fellow Outfitters...it was certainly a VERY special day for me...THANKS GUYS! (if you're reading this...) ...the day closed with a big cook-out with the rest of staff and other friends. I was very touched, and it has certainly been a privilege to have worked these last two years with such godly, loving people. I'm going to miss them all dearly.

My younger brother Caleb graduated High School on the 25th, so I went home for that. I returned with a car! :)

Memorial Day weekend, found all four of us Outfitters working camp's Open House, but once we shut-down, we all piled into my car and drove the FOUR hours (which turned into 5) down to where my family was camping for the weekend. Camping Memorial Day weekend is one of my personal highlights of the year. I was really excited to be able to share it with my fellow Outfitters. It was fun having them be able to interact with my family and our friends for the weekend...I think everyone had fun... =D

So, this isn't turning into a 'quick' summary...oh well...I'm almost finished! =D

I was able to spend my 21st birthday at camp, but then on June 3rd (after driving home to switch vehicles/pick-up my younger brother), I moved back home from camp. My younger brother, Caleb is on the Senior Staff this year, so I moved him onto camp, and he helped me load the van with my stuff. It was a bittersweet moment, but I'm excited for his time at camp. I pray that his experience at camp will draw him close to God as well.

I'm currently in that 'awkward' in between stage. I'm not officially doing anything right now. It's hard, but it's kind of nice. I've been able to set-up my room, so I don't have to do that when I move back again in August. It has also given me a chance to kind of reflect and process through some stuff before moving onto the next thing. My time at camp has been good...not always easy, but good. I've learned a lot. I've been challenged, and I've grown. I know that I am much stronger now in my faith then before, and have a greater peace about who God is; specifically who He is to me...(Psalm 113) and I look forward to all that He is going to continue to do in my life and in the lives of the people around me. To those of you still at camp...Keep in touch...for those of you who aren't...SAME! =D

I love you guys! Thanks for all the prayers, support, and encouragement! ♥

God is GOOD!♥

Alot of
Patience is
Required...
Irreguardless of the
Lack there of


Patience seems to be the theme of my current 'phase' of life. I don't seem to have a lot of it. I want to know... What's going to happen??? Where am I supposed to go??? What am I supposed to do/be doing??? And they aren't BAD questions, but MAYBE I'm not supposed to know ALL the answers...??? I don't know...just a thought :)... Actually, it's true. Once again, I'm faced with the reality that I AM NOT God...shouldn't be that hard to remember, but...When it comes to not knowing the answers I don't like it...but only God knows EVERYTHING. I am NOT God, therefore...I do NOT know EVERYTHING!!!...Yeah for A=B,B(doesn't)=C, therefore C(doesn't)=A!!! Yes, I am a nerd ^^... Anywho, April has been a time of waiting for me. Waiting for other people to make decisions. Trusting that God was leading me to wait. Accepting WAIT as an answer to some of my MANY questions. Thankfully, God is also the One who does SATISFY, and we don't have to wait FOREVER. In fact, something we have to wait A LOT less than forever.

One thing I've been waiting to hear back about was my acceptance to a Christian College by my house in IL. Earlier this month, I'm happy to report I did receive my official acceptance to Trinity Christian College. So, as of right now, I'm planning on moving BACK home to IL in August (after being 'out-of-the-house' for THREE years). It will be a fairly big adjustment, but I am particularly excited to be able to spend more time with my younger sister who is FINALLY to that age where we can hang out on a more 'even' level (She's five years younger than me). It will be cool to see how God uses that...Also, I will hopefully be able to reconnect with friends from high school whom I haven't spent much time with since high school.

Secondly, I was waiting to hear back about a summer job. This past Monday, I was officially offered a summer position at Camp Summit in IL, and I have verbally accepted. An official contract will be coming soon. Pray for me as I will be needing to raise support for myself in order to work there this summer. I look forward to seeing all that God will do this summer, and to the new experiences I have ahead.
Thank you all for you prayer, love, and support. My time with Outfitters is drawing to a close, but don't worry, I plan to keep blogging (I'm hooked!). So, keep watching for updates, as I will continue to try to keep you all updated on what going on as I move forward into this new 'phase'.

God is GOOD! ♥

Well, March has gone by again, and once again Butler is going to the finals...that is of course as far (once again) that basketball will enter into my blog...

March started with MI-CCCA (Christian Camping and Conference Association, Michigan sectional). It would take WAY too long to summarize all the things I learned over the 3 day conference. However, since I promised to talk about it during this month's newsletter, here's what I can give you. 'Pray FIRST, Pray NOW!'...what a concept! I'm still working on that one...'God will place you where He wants you' and...'God doesn't WASTE YOUR TIME'...

March's book of the month was 'Power of Prayer' by E.M.Bounds...I literally have a page tagged and labeled 'OUCH!'. No joke. This book was uber-convicting about the concept of prayer...are you catching the theme???...PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! You want to know what God's will is? PRAY...communicate with God. Which NOTE, also means LISTENING for God to respond. Normal conversation means there is a back and forth; like a game of catch! EVERYTHING comes back to the health of your relationship with God. If your relationship with God is healthy...the rest of your life will follow. If it's not, you are GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS! "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given you as well"(Matthew 6:33).

Life is moving along. I got accepted to Trinity Christian College, and after THREE years will be moving BACK home to IL for school in the fall. I'm excited to see what God does...

This summer is still rather up in the air. I'm kind of in the waiting stages...we'll see what God sends me to do. I pray for the strength and courage to go WHEREVER, to WHOEVER God sends me, and to do WHATEVER, WHENEVER I'm sent to do

God is GOOD!♥

February has flown by and March is rapidly moving along. Also, this will be my twelfth 'official newsletter' since I started blogging, marking one WHOLE year having gone by already. Looking back, SO much has happened that I'm glad I have this blog to semi keep track of it all.
Anywho, on with February. Like January, it was filled with guest groups, weekly almost full-camp cleanings, and winter retreats. My parents came to visit, and I saw many friends from the summer who returned to counsel or just help out with our winter retreats. There was great conversation, and ALWAYS lots of laughter. I know I'm glossing over everything, but honestly right down details kind of evade me.
I'm still in the process of looking for work this summer. I just sent in my first official application today. I still have to get my references in, but at least they have my app. A few other places have my resume. I don't know...continue to pray for me and the decisions I need to make regarding the future. I just got back from the Michigan sectional CCCA (Christian Camping and Conference Association) annual conference. I had some really good conversations, and learned a lot...I'll save those thoughts for another blog as I'm trying to keep this to a simple overview of FEBRUARY. (the conference was at the beginning of March!^^)
As Outfitters, we started doing Precepts (an inductive Bible study). We're doing the one on Covenant. Katie (my mentor) is teaching this year's study just like last year. I'm excited. It can get tedious at times, but having been through two other Precepts studies, I KNOW that in the end they're WELL WORTH the effort. Plus, it is exciting to learn all about God's promises, and ultimately about His FAITHFULNESS! What excellent timing... "'For I know the plans I have for you,'declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.'" And I KNOW He does...If I seek him and trust him (like the rest of the passage goes on to talk about...) He will protect and provide for me. He has my future in HIS capable hands!

God is GOOD!♥

Well, my Christmas break ended in a flurry of activities. I had a fellow Outfitter (Stephen) come visit for a few days, followed by another friend (Caitlin) from camp who I hadn't seen in awhile, and on New Years' I was happily able to see one of my past fellow Outfitters(Johnson) who now works at another camp. It was GREAT to spend sometime with him. Also, on New Years Eve, EVE...Caitlin and I were able to go back to camp for the day. I know, I'm weird, I live there all year long, and when I'm home on break I head back for a visit. However, a bunch of the Summer'10 Staff members were getting together for New Years, so I came up to see them. It was fun catching up with the one's who were able to make it out that day. I didn't stay for the whole holiday weekend, but I hear it went well.
We came back from break to a packed schedule, and pretty much stepped right into winter retreat season which is now pretty much in full swing. Our camp-run retreats actually start THIS upcoming weekend. We're excited. There is supposed to be a TON of snow... ^^
On top of work, I'm continuing to teach our Tuesday Bible Study. We are now in Book 3 of the Navigator series, and it's going well. For Thursdays, we've been meeting with Dave Stiles and discussing The End Times. It's been a challenging, but rewarding experience. I'm still a little confused, but who does have it all figured out when it comes to the End Times (If you do, PLEASE explain it to me!). Also, our book for this month is The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. I just finished it, and it certainly has given me much to think about...especially in regards to my future...speaking of which...
I'm also currently trying to deciding what comes next for me, as my two years in the Outfitters program is rapidly approaching an end. Not only do I have to decide POST-program plans, but also, as a part of the program, I need to decide what I want to do for this upcoming summer. PLEASE pray for wisdom, guidance, parental(and other...) understanding, and just a general peace in the overall process.

Thank you ALL for your continued support and encouragement. Let me know how I can pray/support/encourage you!

God is GOOD!♥

I can NOT believe it's already Christmas! The last month and a half since my last 'newsletter' update has been a time of change and hurt, but at the same time great joy.

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, there have been some changes to the Outfitter program, but as much as I wish they could have come through a different set of circumstances, I have to admit that I really like how things are right now.

I finished teaching book TWO of the NAV 2.7 series that we're going through on Tuesdays and I'm going to be preparing to teach book 3. It's been a learning experience to say the least, and I didn't even really teach most of the days. I think I ended up only doing 2 or 3 lessons by myself. Therefore, the coming book should be an even greater stretch, but I'm excited. I'll be making some suggested changes, but I've really enjoyed our Tuesday classes together.
Another new aspect to the program is grocery shopping. We are all given $50 gift cards to Meijer each month, and we have to eat almost all our meals at home now. At first, I was a little nervous (I wasn't too big of a fan of cooking previously), but I'm having fun experimenting. It's been especially helpful because of my gluten sensitivity. It was getting hard for me to find food at camp that I could eat on a regular basis. So, having more control of my food supply is nice :)

Also, last month (for those of you who don't know already), Jeremy and I did break-up. It was an agreed upon thing, and God has continued to reassure me of his goodness through the whole thing. I can't say it's been easy, but as far as break-ups go it is fairly un-messy, and I'm thankful for God's continued guidance. I KNOW he was the one who led us into the relationship, and I still trust him to be guiding us as we have now stopped being in a relationship together. I thank God for all he has taught me through the whole thing (Pre, during, and Post). God is SO FAITHFUL...and VERY Good!!!

I have also started applying to schools for next fall. Prayer for guidance for that is GREATLY appreciated. I know I want to study some aspect of business, but what specifically I have not decided. I'm looking at a few places, but deadlines are coming up quick. I'm starting to feel the pressure. On top of that, I'm working on planning my 2nd summer of the program. I'm not supposed to spend it at camp, and options are pretty much limitless...pray, pray, pray!

As crazy as it all seems, in an odd way, the last few weeks have been some of the best weeks of my recent years. I have felt more at peace with myself and God...more generally happy than I have in a long time...my mom would say it has to do with my now more gluten-free system, which is probably true, but there really is something to be said for thankfulness, peace, and joy that comes only from really resting in the loving arms of our Savior JESUS Christ, whose birthday we are celebrating today.

Thank you Jesus for coming to earth to save me...Thank you for loving me enough to die for me...thank you for being there for me...thank you for making the way for me to be in a relationship with God, and for giving me a chance at an abundant life if I choose to follow you!

God is GOOD! ♥

Wow has there been a whirlwind of activity and just general chaos since my last 'official newsletter update'. So, please bear with me as I try to recap the last month.

Life at camp has dramatically changed. The original leaders of the program I am in left, along with two other permanent staff members, and the remaining members of my original group. I am the last person left from the group I started with in September of 2009. If you have been reading some of my other posts, I am now giving you the context for some of them. Needless to say, it's been a tough month, lots of changes. However, I still serve a GOOD and faithful God. There are 3 new people who joined the program this past September who are staying, and it has been GREAT getting to know them. Programmatically, the basics are still the same, the only real difference is the people responsible for the individual pieces. It's been a challenge, but it's all starting to come together. As we are now through the first week or so of November, things are already starting to settle back down, and I'm really excited about where the program is heading.

Also, another major event from last month worth mentioning, is that we, as Outfitters, went to New York City! Everyone went. It was kind of a last hoorah before people left at the end of the month. I admittedly was kind of weary to go, but the trip was GREAT. We had a great time road tripping across Northeastern USA in van, attended Sunday morning church and Tuesday prayer meeting at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, stayed at a YMCA, rode the subway, and just in general toured the great big city itself. I LOVED Central Park, and the services we attended at the BT were both inspiring and moving. The BT a little big for my taste, but the some of the people there are just inspirational. Oh, and even though the last time I was in NYC I didn't really enjoy it, this trip totally made up for it. I could even almost see myself living there...at least many for a little while. All in all, it ended up being a great trip, a great send off for those who were leaving, and a great kick-off for those of us continuing on ahead together.

I am SO thankful for the Outfitters program, and all that I've learned/experienced this last year, and I'm looking forward to another great year. More changes are ahead I'm sure, but that's not for me to worry about... :)

God is GOOD!

Well, September is almost over, and boy a lot has happened. First, we have 3 new people in the Outfitters program: Steve, Elaine, and Carissa. On top of adjusting programmatically to there being more people, it has also meant an adjusting of housing since we had to make living space for our new members. The preparation was more stressful than the actual event, and I’m LOVING having more people. I’ve always been a fan of big groups; I come from a bigger-ish family, and coming back to a home filled with activity is nice. Sure, it’s not all fun and games, but it’s been good. :) Organizationally, it’s been REALLY great having more people…we can get almost ALL of camp cleaned in ONE work day. It’s AWESOME!

With the end of summer came the starting up of our ‘normal’ schedule again. For Tool Time we are finishing up the RZIM Apologetics series that we did half of last year. It’s been really good thus far (It’s a highlight of my week!). For The Feast, we are doing Navigators again, except this time we 2nd year Outfitters get to teach. Hannah and Mike are doing the first book this month. Nate and I get to teach the second book next month. It should be fun. I’m really looking forward to it. The discussions have been really good. It’s interesting to look back at what we learned last year, find new things this year, and add ideas that the 1st year Outfitters catch that we didn’t. It’s a really good time to just get into the Word together, and to discuss Truth.

Keep praying for Outfitters and camp. Let me know how I can be in prayer for you.
I Love you guys!

God is GOOD! ♥

Well...once again, I've come to the end of another month, and the close of another summer at Bair Lake Bible Camp. The blog I posted right before this one kind of gives a long 'summary' of what God's been teaching me/what's been on my mind, but I didn't say anything about the actual events of my month so I figured I should probably right another one doing so.

The first half of August went by in a blurr of end of the summer camp. It ended with two camps being on the same week. Fun, fun, fun for AV. However, I made BOTH movies,a summer-summary video for staff, and STILL got 4 hours of sleep. WIN! So it took all summer, but hey...it still makes me happy. Now all I have to do is finish writing the Manual. :) Yes, that's right, I am now working on writing an AV Summer Manual. Complete with diagrams ^^ It should be good, and hopefully VERY informative/helpful for future AV workers.

Now that the summer camps are over, summer staff has pretty much ALL left **tear(s)**, but with the end of summer comes the start of retreat season and GUEST GROUPS! We hit the ground running, with a full-week long guest group,followed by back-to-back (some slightly over-lapping) groups...whew! We've kept busy doing turn-overs, making sure each new group has a clean place to stay :)

The biggest change that's coming is four more people will be joining the discipleship group. I'm very excited because I KNOW God is going to use Outfitters to do GREAT things in these peoples lives. Housing, will be interesting, but I'm trusting God to work all that out. Yes, I'll be honest, I'm not SUPER-EXCITED about sharing our little apartment with two more girls, but God's given me a peace about it, and like I said, I KNOW they're here for a reason :)

On a HIGH note, starting on August 25th (and actually Aug.24th after work!) We 1-year Outfitters were given some vacation time that doesn't end till the new Outfitters move in on September 1st. It's only 1 week, but still, I'm thankful. I got to spend the first half in the Detroit-area with my boyfriend and his family. It was my first time visiting them, and Detroit. It was a lot of fun, and I already miss him (long-distance relationships kind of suck, but hey! God got us this far...), but than I was able to take the Amtrak (another new experience) back home to IL to spend the 2nd half of my vacation at home with the fam. It's been GREAT. I've been able to chill, and just spend quality time with my family who I don't see all that often. I was even able to watch my younger brother's (I can't say little b/c he is now taller and more musclely than me ^^ ) first soccer game of the season. He's a senior and on the varsity team. I feel SO old. I don't really no anyone on the guys' team anymore, and I used to be the manager. Oh well. Such is life...

and that catches me up to today! =D

God is GOOD! ♥

Yep, once again another month has flown by. My verse for the month/the summer Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
That verse and reference are taped rather conspicuously on the wall of my office. Camp is going great, and I haven't had anymore disasters like my first week. There are still it's down times, and stressful times, but overall I'm doing GREAT! However, it is so easy to start worrying about, or getting anxious about things that we have no control over. We need to do what we've been called to do, and let God handle the rest. We can't control other people, the weather, or technology. Only God is All-powerful, and that's a REALLY GOOD thing. He does things so much better than I ever could. He expands my dreams and hopes farther than my own imagination. I thank Him for daily providing, being ever trust-worthy, and for being there ALWAYS. Rest assured, no matter what happens, what's going on, how you feel, He IS THERE, and loves you, and wants the give you a life that is full and abundant.

God is GOOD!

Four weeks of a year comparatively are not much, but many significant things can still happen in such a short amount of time. In my last newsletter, I kind of introduced June when I was talking about my birthday, but now June is gone, and I’m starting day three of July. Oh, dear…hold on, because my birthday seems like it happened FOREVER ago.

First off, summer here at camp officially started this month. Four days after my birthday the summer staff started working. We have over 20 college-ish age people (AKA my age people) working as paid staff this summer. It’s been nice, and kind of crazy at the same time to have more of my peers around camp outside of Outfitters.
With summer, my job as AV Director also officially started. As I type this, I’m currently waiting for my 2nd week’s summary video to generate. It’s been kind of a long couple of weeks AV-wise, but I understand that starting a new system means putting in some extra work at the beginning. So, that’s what I’m doing. It’s been a process to figure out what works best, and what is the most efficient way to go about making the summary videos.

Lastly, but MOST importantly, what has God been teaching me over the last 4 weeks? Praise Jesus, Many, MANY things. It’s amazing how much my views on things can change, and how God really does control the heart. This past month, I’ve continued to learn more about love. What it is, what it looks like. One main lesson was the concept of really loving someone like a brother, when they aren’t. Being able to acknowledge it, and accept it. I know I'm being vague, but much of what I've been learning this month has been rather abstract and it is hard for me do adequately verbalize it at this current time in writing. I'd LOVE to talk about it though. God has been doing GREAT things, in my life, at camp, and in the lives of the people around me, and I KNOW He is going to continue to do so. All praise to "Him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 4:20) That's probably my favorite verse, and I come back to it a lot. I'm so thankful for a God who goes beyond anything I could dream of, I pray that He continues to expand my hopes and dreams, but still, I'll NEVER be able to fully understand God's true essence. PRAISE HIM!

God is GOOD! ♥

Yep...it is now a new month. Time for me to talk about the events of May. Well, it's been kind of crazy (as slightly anticipated, probably a little more than originally expected, but...) First off, Camp's Men's Retreat was the last day in April-the first weekend in May. I did AV. It was definitely a learning experience AV-wise, but it was also really cool to witness such a powerful weekend, where I really believe Men's lives were changed. The next weekend, My brother graduated, and I got to go home for that, and I got to spend time with my mother(as it was conveniently Mothers' Day weekend as well!) . It was AWESOME. The next weekend I co-hosted, and then left with my fellow Outfitters and other Bair Lake staff (including all of our mentors) for a road-trip to the Creation Museum. It was a lot of fun. We stayed at a local Christian camp Sunday night (in tepees!), and then spent all of Monday at the Museum. It was really cool to walk through a museum that didn't date things to MILLIONS of years, and to hear(and see) the Gospel message preached at the end! Plus I touched a llama =D THREE llamas actually ^^ Anyways, continuing on, at the end of that week, I had two friends come in Thursday-Saturday to help me organize camp's AV (Audio-Visual) department. I'm SO grateful to both of them for all of their help. I could not have done what we did without them. Side-note: For the summer, my job is going to be AV Director, which has caused it's own stresses and lessons. All-in-all, I know it's going to be a GREAT summer. Lastly, this past weekend (Memorial Day weekend) I was able to go home again (and bring one of my fellow Outfitters with me) in order to go camping. For the last 3 years, my family has been going to Shades Park (near Turkey Run in IN) to camp with 3 other families that we don't get to see very much outside of Memorial weekend. It was a lot of fun. There is usually VERY little organization of activities and it's mostly one BIG chill weekend, with a bunch of God-fearing, fun-loving people. It's DEFINITELY one of the highlights of my YEAR!

So today is also my birthday. Yes, I'm 20 today. I have now been alive for 2 decades. With time, the months seem to get shorter and shorter, and May was no different. Today, as I reflect back on May, as I reflect back to my 19th birthday, as I reflect back through the last 2 decades, one thing stands out; clear evidence of God working in my life.

If you have been following my blog, you know that the last few months have not been 'easy', but neither has some other parts of my life, but that's life. We live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people. I'M NOT PERFECT. I'm going to make mistakes, so are the people around me. The only 'person' I can really trust to NEVER fail me is God. That's what I've been learning. That's really what God has been saying all these years.
Life is going to have it's trials and hardships, but in those times are we relying on ourselves, the people around us, or are we relying on the All-powerful, All-knowing, Ever-present God, who created ALL THINGS?

I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalms 16:8

The theme for May was humility, and God certainly started lessons on day one. In many different areas of my life, God has been showing me that I FIRST need to humble myself to HIM, and place whatever the thing is at HIS feet first, and trust HIM with it, but then to also humble myself to the people around me, and to trust what GOD is doing in their lives, and what HE is teaching them. My first priority is to listen to and follow what God is specifically directing me to do, the 2nd is to listen and follow the people who God puts over me.
May has been a month of laughter, a month of tears, a time of trials, a time of learning, a time of growth, a time of change and tradition, transitions, busyness, relaxation, RANDOMNESS! But what month hasn't? What month doesn't go by without a variety of emotions being felt, and random things experienced, obstacles faced, and lessons learned?
In the end, as I look back on life it ALL comes back to Ecclesiastes. "There is a time for everything..."(E3:1), but are you going to stop at "Everything is meaningless" (E1:2) or will you recognize that with GOD ALL things have meaning (Colossians 1:15-20)?

God is GOOD! ♥

Another month has flown by, and the winner for the most used phrase this month; 'God is working on it'.

Speaking honestly here, April has been one of the hardest months for me. I've probably cried more in the last 2 weeks, than all of last year. Also, these weren't just tears, this was full-out crying to God in pain, seeking His guidance, asking for forgiveness, begging to see His presence in my life. I have a really hard time expressing myself, and what I express generally doesn't accurately reflect what is going on inside me. What I've learned is that I also tend to do that with God, which is bad because He is the ONE who already knows EVERYTHING (more than I do!). This past month, I had what I would consider to be my first REAL lesson on what it means to cast all of my cares on the Lord (Psalms55:22/1Peter5:7)

'Rees Howells INTERCESSOR' was April's book for the month. It's a challenging biography of a man who lived a life of faith in total dependence on God, who had an understanding of what it meant to daily pick up his cross and follow Jesus. It challenges me to seek to have that kind of relationship with God, and to strive to surrender more and more of my life to God's will. The hardest moments/my biggest struggles are ALWAYS harder when I'm trying to control my life. I ask God 'why?', when all I need to do is remember WHO HE IS! Life isn't working out how I WANTED it to turn out...it's OK, because GOD is the one in control, and HIS way is the BEST way!

A verse God gave me this past month was Psalms 55:12 "Restore to me the JOY of your SALVATION and grant me a WILLING spirit to SUSTAIN me"

No matter what happens God is still on HIS THRONE!
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our SAVIOR, who daily bears OUR burdens" (Psalms 68:19)

God is GOOD! ♥

...Random interjection: I just killed my FIRST, TWO (10*) mosquitoes of the year, and have my SECOND (3rd&4th*) mosquito bites :( ...I LOVE Spring, but I HATE mosquitoes, unfortunately they LOVE ME :'( *(Actual numbers by the time I finished writing this blog)....
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Anywho...I wish I had a SWEET basketball analogy to go with my title, but I don't...sorry. I do not know enough about basketball to make an accurate correlation, though I am learning b/c you can NOT help but get into the sport of basketball when you live at camp...just about EVERYONE at least watches it. (WARNING: Basketball is contagious!)
So, I'm sure you can guess that I've watched a few college basketball games over the last few weeks, along with watching the ending games of camp's Mens' Church Basketball league games. Both have been quite enjoyable...but now for the real 'Madness' part of my blog...
If you've read my last two blogs, I'm sure you can kind of sense some of the INTENSE 'conversations' I've been having with God lately. I'm not really sure how to express it all. A friend of mine's life verse is John 3:30, and it's the first verse that comes to mind when thinking about my last few weeks..."HE must become greater; I must become less". It's NOT ABOUT ME!
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you have died, and you life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory". (Colossians 3:1-4)
And really, we aren't really losing anything at all. When we give our lives to God, he is able to use us in ways we could NEVER even IMAGINE. Never forget how much God loves us, and wants what's best for us. I don't remember where I heard it, but one of my favorite quotes is "God is too loving to ever do anything unkind, and too wise to ever make a mistake".

God is GOOD! ♥