What lack of sleep does to you

Bible freeze tag.  Sounds like a simple enough game to play with kids...you pick one person to be it and kids have a chance to yell out a bible character so they don't get tagged.  Well, thats what we were going to play tonight for the kids at my church.  So they came out and i got them ready for the game.  I lined them up by birthday and counted them off so we would have two teams... i lined the teams up...then i realized we were playing tag...you don't need teams for tag, but i had just spent a good three minutes dividing them up ingeniously, so what was i to do?  I looked to my fellow workers for help, but they were too busy laughing at me for spliting the kids into worthless teams...we ended up playing a random relay game i made up off the top of my head, so the kids were none the wiser, but now i know...i need more sleep before next wednesday...and maybe someone else should run games.

Elation at insignificance

It's hard to believe that catching a glimpse of my own insignificance can put me in the state of elation that i currently find myself in. Tonight i was able to attend two meetings on campus that really showed me that while i can do something globaly for Christ, i can do nothing until i admit that im myself i am nothing. In myself, there is no strength that will accomplish great things, but when i yield myself to God, i can far surpass any dream or ambition i may have. God's put a lot on my heart, and i want to do it all. Why not? College is the only time in my life when im not going to be tied down, not tied down to a job, and not tied down to a family. When Paul wrote that he would have everyone to be single, this is what he was talking about. I want to do everything i can for God before i have other responsibilities. Even more than that, if i can't find time to serve and worship my Creator when my only true devotion ought to be to Him, when am i going to find time to devote to Him when other things in my life are demanding the majority of my attention. If i can't trust God now with something as insignificant as a school bill (albeit, it seems like a towering burden now) how will i trust him with the health, safety, and provision of my family. One thing i've learned about life at college, although not necessarily from a classroom setting, is always serve God in every way you can while you can because service to him now is preparation...preparation for that next place that God is going to call you to. If you take small steps toward it now, it is going to be far easier to reach than if you try to leap to it all at once. Please pray as i consider my summer. Camp is a definite possibility and hope. I also want to go on a missions trip. I want to go to NYC in March and/or Argentina in August. For all this to happen, God is going to have to open doors and provide in miraculous ways...and i know He can...

When love is lost...and found again

The other day a friend of mine challenged me to think of one verse that tells us of Christ's love. I had a hard time thinking of one on the spot. I finally mumbled out Romans 5:8, but i had been really discouraged the last few weeks. I was looking all around me a the things that were wrong in my life, and it had blurred my vision from the amazing, breath taking love of God. Her question really cleared my vision a bit and showed me how meaningless the things here are. I realized that my skewed vision of the boundless love that God showers on us everyday was preventing me from allowing Him to use me as a channel to show His love to other people. Looking back i saw that the love of God that i used to have as a theme in my life was missing. I was treating my friends badly and caring only about myself, so I'm sorry. Love is something that never fails, and i did. Thankfully, my loving Father is teaching me again what love is. It's something that always welcomes you back with open arms.

Uncomfortably genuine

The two lessons i learned the most about at camp this summer was getting out of my comfort zone and just living a real life in front of people. God stretched me this summer in so many ways. I won't tell my counseling story again, but He used so many people and circumstances to take me from a place of comfort to a place of discomfort. I realized that no one who did anything great for my God did it while they were comfortable. Every great work for God was a stretching experience for the person who did it. It was when they were taken to a place where they didn't know how or what to do, and they let God shine through them and accomplish His will. The other thing i learned was the importance of being genuine. No one likes the fake stuff, but so many times we live our lives as fake people, fake Christians. The whole thing really reduces down to a fear of man battling within us with the fear of God. It comes down to who we care more about. Do we care more what God thinks or what man thinks? I don't want to live my life as an unapproachable person who seems to have all their priorities perfectly aligned, while the turmoil inside is tearing me apart. Real people have problems, but we also have a real God to give us real help for our real problems.

School started again

So, im a week or two into the semester, and im already feeling some of the wear and tear. Stressed does not begin to describe the way i've been feeling, but then again its the only one i can think of. I can't pull out the exact cause of my stress, but its been driving me crazy for a few days. Hopefully soon i can figure out what exactly is wrong with me :) As far as school goes (other than my stress attack), its been going relatively well. I haven't had any classes that made me want to die yet, unless its by boredom and of course i have some of that. It's also amazing to be back at my wisconsin church...i love the people here so much. And God is working so mightily there that i can see it on the peoples faces everytime we go. Wow...so i started this feeling like i could stay up for another hour or so, but now im exhausted...no worries, i have a long break tomorrow, and i'll try to post then...goodnight :)

Recapping my summer

I'm home...and home is good, but im kinda wondering if im going to survive here for the next 3 weeks. Camp was amazing...and the friends i got there are great. i learned a ton about God, about me, about working with other ppl, and so many other things. Its definitely and experience that i will draw from for the rest of my life. Let me give you a quick run down of my summer. I got to camp at the end of may. I found i was living in a very small trailer with 10 other girls...it wasn't the most exciting part of the summer, but we all soon became great friends and had a ton of fun. Our first week of campers was a junior week (3rd to 6th grade). It was a really good first week for us to get acclamated to camp life. I missed most of the third week to go to Chicago area for Amber's wedding. We had so much fun, and of course how much fun can you have without a little bit of drama?? I returned to camp for the first teen week, and started to get back into the swing of things. By the end of the week, I had a pretty good handle on everything. I started the second teen week like any other...but thats about the only part of the week that was normal. During dinner, the camp program director (also my old youth director) walked up to me and started to tell me how camp staff had to be flexible. I just kept filling the water pitchers i was filling until the words "and this week you'll be conselling" came out of his mouth. I didn't know the procedures, jobs, or expectations of being a counselor. I immediately left and went to get ready for this crazy week. It turned out to be a good week. At least i survived. :-) well i gotta go for a little bit but i'll keep recapping soon

Long time comin'

So here it is.  My first post in a very long time.  I am well aware that I have not held up to one post a week.  It’s been an interesting summer.  Camp has been fun and long.  I miss friends and family but I’m learning a ton.  I went to ambers wedding…it was so great to be back all together again.  This weekend is the staff summer party.  Which means a lot of fun and games.  Ive already been eliminated from the basketball tournament.  Big surprise.  Anyway, im here and im alive and ive learned a lot this summer which I will discuss at some later point when I don’t have things to be doing…so prolly when I get home…O and my computer is getting fixed so when I get home it should be working and happy again!!!