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| I enjoy reading everybody else's Xanga updates so much that I thought I'd go ahead and put one of my own up... Things are going well--I'm definately staying busy. I thought that changing my major from architecture would free up a lot of time. It has, but I've filled that time with tons of other stuff!! Some of that stuff includes: chapel worship team, leading a small group, teaching youth Sunday school at church, leading worship at church, being on a missions team (we're going to the Bahamas!), playing 3 IM sports (two of which are over and in both my team lost in the finals  ), and working for admissions (hosting prospective students) and athletics (I'm sort of in charge of the "Blue Crew" promotionals for basketball). All this extra stuff is awesome and keeping me out of trouble for sure, but I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. And it's that feeling that has reminded me that I have to rely on God for strength. Otherwise, I'm just doing all these things and not serving Christ through them. What's the point in that? Exactly, no point at all!! Also, for those of you who don't know, I'm having surgery on my shoulder in 31 days--one month and one day.  Kinda scared... I guess that's all for know, Thanksgiving break is quickly approaching, only 7 school days. In those 7 days, though, I have 2 papers due and 2 papers kind of due. And my 15 page biblical exegesis is due in 2 and 1/2 weeks! Lots of work to do, seems that I can't escape it. God is good and as I lean on Him and rely on Him for strength, I have no doubt that He'll provide all that I need!! Bye! | | |
| "It's over; that's so sad!" -Daniel "Ambush" Wallace
The summer of 2006 has come to an end and Gull Lake Ministries retreats back into "tri-season" mode. The summer of 2006 has come to an end and the summer staff disperse. The summer of 2006 has come to an end but God continues to work in my life.
That's right, the summer is all done. I miss the campers and I miss the staff and I miss being in a body of Christ that functions efficiently and effectively together as a whole. The summer was a blast but now it's over; now it's time to move on to another facet of my life. But God is good (all the time) and he can fill any part that I am lacking.
I learned so much over the course of the last 11 weeks! I learned that God can use any circumstance and any person to teach me one of His truths. I learned that loving people is far more valuable than completing tasks. And I learned that, being totally truthful, I am incredibly small in comparison to God's might and His power!! I learned what it means to be a leader and not merely a manager. I learned that there's always a hint of truth in sarcasm and sarcasm always hurts and I learned that comparison truly is the thief of joy.
God used this summer at Gull Lake Ministries not only to impact the lives of the guests- He used this summer to impact my life.
This summer has made me more conscience of my words and how they are affecting the well-being of others. This summer has made me aware that encouragement, in addition to love, covers a multitude of sins. This summer has taught me that truth without grace in ineffective; obsolete and that people don't care what you have to say until you show them that you care for them.
The most immediate lesson from this summer, however, is that of learning to listen to God's quiet persistence and simply step with faith into His embrace. I feel called to full-time ministry.
I changed my major... it was quite drawn out and confusing... the day before classes began. I made up my mind that I was going to become an architect when I was in the fourth grade, but now I'm an accounting major with a Biblical studies minor. There is a rationale behind the accounting pursuit, although I don't think that I want to be an accountant. I am willing to let God use me for whatever He wants and if that means He wants me to "eat the dung off the street, I'd do it and know that it's good for me..." well, to be honest, I don't know if I'm quite there yet. But I want to be.
I know that following Christ isn't going to be easy- one of the classes that I am taking as a result of my change in career path involves a 25 page exegesis of a passage of Scripture of my choice. But God is good and He's good all the time. He loved me enough to make me, to die for me, and to give me the opportunity to spend eternity with Him (my "Three Cool Point Sermon (: ) and so He deserves all my love back. "God give me the strength to follow You at all times; to pray without ceasing and to work at all things as if working for You. Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings and for the trials that You have allowed to come my way, because 'we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work in me so that... I may be complete in Him.'" | | |
| Summer has been crazy busy. Yesterday wasonly the 3rd day, including the Saturday following exams all that way back on May 1, that I didn't work! I have worked between 40 and 55 hours every week... Having only 4 days off in five weeks, 1 at the beginning, 2 at the end, and 1 in the middle, is a sure way to get burned out in a hurry. But the grace of God has me hungry for more as I have an incredibly busy rest of the summer planned!
Tomorrow begins the rest of the summer at camp... Gull Lake Ministries in the far away (2 miles) town of Hickory Corners. It'll be my 5th summer there, but this one seems like it'll be so different. I think part of me is almost arrogant in thinking, "I've done this before, no big deal" and in thinking that I've experienced all there is to experience there. On the other hand, though, I feel totally unprepared for the next two and a half months.
I can't wait to see old friends and meet all sorts of new ones and I can't wait to be thrown into a situation in which I really have no choice but to serve the guests and ultimately God. It's an atmosphere unlike any other and it is really really easy for me, I've found in the past, to become selfish and adopt the mindset that I'm there for me. I have to remember that I'm there for the guests and for my Lord Jesus Christ.
Please be in prayer for us this summer that we will joyfully serve Christ and all our brothers and sisters and everyone who comes to Gull Lake Ministries. Pray that attitudes will be submissive and attentive and obedient. Thanks so much, I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer!! | | |
| It's 70 degrees!! I can't believe how beautiful it is outside... who wants to do homework on a day today? Not me!
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| WOW!! It is such a nice day out today... almost 70, partly cloudy with a breeze. It feels like summer, almost!
Speaking of summer, I get to be at camp ALL SUMMER this year!! As Jessica pointed out to me, this is the first summer in 5 summers that I'll get to be at camp the whole time. I'm pumped about what God is going to do with me, the rest of the staff, and the campers this summer! I can't wait.
God is teaching me that I really need to work on my listening skills, especially when it comes the Him speaking.
Well, I'm off to the bank and then want to write a short paper before dinner.
Tonite, my intramural basketball team plays in the semifinals of our league! I'm pretty excited about that, too! Big game...
Bye, and I'll leave you with this...
"I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence."
-Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest March 28
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7
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