Pray like you mean it.

Let us therefore come boldy into the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Hebrews 4:16 

Prayer. As Christians, prayer is our strongest, most useful tool. It works at just the right times, and it is always readily available. Prayer is our direct connection with God, our way to communicate with him, and through regular time in prayer and in scripture, God reveals himself to us and we grow closer to him. It is incredible, and there is no greater feeling than realizing a prayer has (or has not!) been answered. But anyway!

I say all of that, to ask this. I, along with 100 other young adults, am about the embark on 2 months of Student Life Camp. I am not going to explain camp to you what goes on there because I can't. I am afraid my words might not do justice to the experiences had at Student Life. BUT I will say this- it is a hard 2 months. I won't call it a sacrifice because I consider myself lucky to be a part of camp, but it is physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. So I am asking for your prayers. I am asking that you will make a space for the Student Life Staff members in your regular prayer time. This is what I am asking you to prayer for:

That first, God would give us an attitude of service and a spirit of humility. That, as a staff, everything we do or say would be glorifying to Him, and every message and devotion we share with the campers would be from God Himself. Pray that we would simply be God's instruments and that He will use us wherever we are needed; that we will deliver His message clearly and the way He would have us deliver it. Also, please pray for travel mercies, as all four of our staff teams travel long distances and several times over the summer.

Second, pray that the hearts and minds of the 3rd through 12 grade kids who come to camp will be open the God. That, when they come to camp, they will leave behind problems and worries from home and let God break them and fill them up. That their hearts would be forever changed and they would go home with new hearts and attitudes.

Third, that when they do go home, it won't be us they are telling their friends and families about. Pray that it will be God they run home and talk about. Pray that we won't be rememberd, but what God did the week they were at camp and the way God was revealed will be what they remember.

Pray that the message of the Gospel will spread like wild fire in the hearts of our youth and that God would use us and these camps to help show these campers His truth. Pray that God would shake our youth and ultimately our country, and have a lasting impression on their hearts and their lives. 

Thank you brothers and sisters. Also know that you are being prayed for as well.

Ramblin' Mind.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever... Psalm 118:29

Well right now, there are about one million and five things on my mind. Here goes...

On the whole going- out- of- town- for- two- months thing: I think you should be able to go to some website and type in where you are traveling, what you will be doing, and how long you will be gone, what size you are, and what kind of clothes you wear on a daily bases, and this website will mail you a suitcase pre and perfectly packed for whatever it is you are going out of town to do. "Going on a honeymoon? Type in your size and we'll send you a beautiful suitcase filled with flowing dresses and bathing suits that flatter your figure! What about going to Student Life for two months? Are you a REC leader? We'll send you a cute but durable suitcase equipped with the best tennis shoes, gym shorts, sports bras and socks. But it doesn't stop there! Great jeans and comfy but nice shirts for worship and nights off!" No one take this idea, I am going to create this little cyber travel-store-heaven when I get home in August.


And why can't hair grow faster? What if your hair grew as fast as your fingernails? How nice would that be?! OR what if you could take some magic potion that made your hair stop growing so your 100 dollar highlights looked brand new until you decided to stop taking that magic potion? Clearly I've missed my calling in life.

I got a wedding dress... WITH POCKETS!!

I have gotten to spend the past few days in fellowship with great friends. I am so thankful to have people in my life like them. Where would we be without friends? A good friend is more valuable than gold... and a lot more fun.

I am SO EXCITED!!! to be going to Student Life on Saturday. I am going to miss my family, of course, and I am even going to miss planning my very own wedding, but I am SOO excited about my team for the summer! I love them all like family, and I know God has INCREDIBLE things in store for this summer. I can just feel it. My attitude this summer is so much different than last year, and I cannot wait to get my hands dirty and step out of my comfort zone. Student Life pushes me to work hard and it really teaches a lot about depending solely on God for everything. Even more than that though, I cannot wait to see what God does in the lives of the campers this summer. It is so easy to forget that the summer is not about me, but I have been praying for an attitude of humility, and that God is what the kids remember from camp, not us. I know He is going to do incredible things, and I am so very excited.

Also, in 234 days (not that I'm counting! But seriously, it's a facebook countdown... I am literally not counting) I am going to marry my best friend. I cannot wait. After all, absence only makes the heart grow fonder for a while. After a certain level of fondness, it's no longer cool- just annoying and hard. There is a light at the end of the distance, and it will be here in 234 days.

I have realized that the story of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is actually a tragedy, and that no one should feel so lost to not even be able to name their cat. I love this story, but it breaks my heart for Holly. She needed someone to love her and show her where she belonged. Why can they never put Jesus into these stories? Then they wouldn't seem so sad.

I painted my toe nails lime green and ate a Clown Cone from Baskin Robbins. Does it get any better?!

I am getting old. I no longer know what is "in style" (nor do I really care?) and if a word is abbreviated, I have to ask someone what it stands for.  If I get a text from a younger girl I might know, I have to ask her to type out the abbreviations and resend the message. Am I 30?

In the past few days, I have been thinking a lot about the difference in a teenager and an adult. I have been thinking about how little we know and how much we learn as time goes on. I don't think it really has to do with getting older, but as you get older you do experience more and come in contact with so many different people; this is where those realizations come from. Maybe it does have to do with age after all.

Planning the wedding of your dreams is so much harder than they tell you! Do you know how many different colors there are to choose from? And why does every dress have to be so perfect?! SO MANY CHOICES. No wonder the girl plans the wedding.

It's 12:24. I am going to bed. Sorry for rambling, but I do feel better now. :)