Winter Blast

I just got back from the first Winter Blast weekend and it was amazing. God showed up in so many ways I could go on for hours, but I will tell you a few highlights of the weekend. I was put with the oldest girl's cabin, the Polar Bears, and had 5 wonderful girls ages 12-15. I usually work with the younger girls so I was surprised and a little nervous to find that I had been put with the oldest group. But God gave me just what I needed. The girls listened great and having only 5 helped a lot. I also had a LIT (leader in training) with me most of the time who was great as well. One of the reasons I don't prefer to work with the older girls is because I feel like I can't relate to them as well as the younger ones. Mostly because the older girls are dealing with sometimes heavy stuff and I feel like I never know what to say. But apparently God has something for me to say.

One of my girls, who is 15, we'll call her A, really opened up to me about her life and past experiences. She has been into drugs, alcohol and was pressured into sex. She was saved this past summer at camp and wants to be an LIT next summer. I was surprised by the fact that A opened up so much of her life to me but even more surprised by what came out of my mouth when she did. God gave me the words to say to her before I even had time to worry about what I was going to say. I would ask that you pray for A with me, that she can make wise decisions and find some new friends. She is very open to God and wants to do the right thing but is having a hard time not giving into temptation. A is a wonderful girl and God could use her in amazing ways if she can only break free from her sins. Will you join me in praying for her?

God also blessed me in many other ways this weekend. Some personal things I have been praying about for awhile were answered this weekend. God brought peace into my life and really made it clear to me that He has a special plan for my life and that I am in the midst of His plan. I have a new joy in my life because of this certainty that God has a plan. This is something I have been praying about for a long time and it is a great feeling when a prayer has been answered.

It was also great to see my amazing friend Elizabeth, pictured above with me (I look horrible from being out in the cold and wearing a hat). She lives in Chicago and I only get to see her every so often but she is always a blessing to me when I do. This weekend was just the pick me up I needed to make it through this semester which has not been off to that great a start. And...I get to do it all again (with different kids of course) in a few weeks!

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong: for like the grass they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him, do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."
-Psalm 37:1-7

Disclaimer: These pictures don't really go with the verse but I thought that they were cool. They are from an ice storm last winter.

Camp Beechpoint

My thoughts are somewhat consumed with Camp Beechpoint at the moment. I'm applying to work there again, this will be my fourth summer as a TL. I took last summer off and it was super hard to be away from the atmosphere that I've come to love. These photos are from the past summers I've been there and just looking at them makes me excited for this summer. Winterblast (winter camp that lasts for a weekend) is also only 2 weeks away. My prayer is that Winterblast will reignite my passion for camp and the kids we serve there.

The new year has been going well so far. I can tell that God has a lot in store for me and its only been a week of 2009. I am excited to see how He grows me and molds me into the woman he wants me to be this year. I also have expectations of my own but I am trying to give them to God and have Him make my expectations. I want to do His will and I am praying that He reveals that to me.

2008

It was this time a year ago that I took my trip to Haiti. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have spent a Christmas in Haiti, and looking back a year later, it is still hard to believe it actually happened. That trip taught me so many things. It taught me that I can survive totally out of my comfort zone, and not just survive, but enjoy that time. It taught me that God really is in control and if something is in His will, it will work out no matter what. It taught me that adoption is in God's plan for me. Something that I have known for awhile but was proven to me in Haiti. It taught me that often when you think you are doing something to bless other people, you are the one who ends up being blessed a million times over. It also taught me that I really can do anything with God's strength and love.

I hope that someday I get to go back to Haiti. And maybe see other parts of the world as well. Reflecting on my trip a year later, I remember feeling so many things and praying, please God, let me hold on to these feelings when I get home. I can't say I have kept that joy, love, and peace with me all year. But God is good and He always knows how to bring it back. I will leave you with the words of a song that I have always loved and that I think express it better than I could.

What a wonderful Maker
What a wonderful Savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
-Luke 2:9-14

Just starting...

I am starting this blog because I want motivation to do more with photography, and also to see things in my life differently. More like the way God wants me to see them. I am going to try to post photos that I have taken that are more than just snapshots. I also want to include Bible verses and talk about things that God is teaching me.

Right now my life is kind of going in all directions, but there is a verse that was read at my Grandpa's funeral today that I want to share. It is Isaiah 41:10. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." This verse gave me comfort because I know that, no matter how many ways I am being pulled right now and no matter how much I think I can't do it, God is MY God and he is with me. I do not need to fear.

The photo with this post isn't that great, but it sums up the rest of my life right now...snow, snow and more snow.