I'm moving!!!!!

And so are YOU!

I have decided to try something new. I am going to use WordPress. The new site name is as easy to remember as this one. http://theresagarcia.wordpress.com/

I needed a change of pace and a little more variety. So, here we go! You can subscribe to my feed and I am working on setting up a following. I am still trying to figure it all out, so bear with me!

Song of the day.

All My Loving

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

I'll pretend that I'm kissing
The lips I am missing
And hope that my dreams will come true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

All my loving I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you
All my loving I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true
All my loving, all my loving ooh
All my loving I will send to you

Very Thin Ice

To Do Today...

1. Call a Plumber.
2. Call the sign people.
3. Drink more coffee.
4. Get a vacuum cleaner.
5. Stay dry.
6. Drink more coffee.
7. More phone calls.
8. Study for my Education Mid-Term.
9. Do a little facebook stalking.
10. Try to figure out how to be at 12 million different places at one time on the 20th.
    

Purpose.

Psalm 138:8
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Saturday with Seuss...

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind.

Dr. Seuss

Heaaded to A-town.

Oh yes, today I am headed to Athens to see my sweet Kathryn and Georgia and LSU play one another Saturday. While you all know that I am a HUGE Georgia Tech fan, who turns down a free ticket to a college football game? Not me.

I will, however, be cheering on the Jackets as they play Mississippi State (my friend, Bill's-and apparently Dean Slay's-, favorite team). Pretty excited to see/hear the Jackets pull this one out!

On running. And running. And running.

During small group last night, we talked about the ways in which we take time out to consider God and His awesome glory. Everyone had different answers. Nathan remarked that he saw God while he was overseas fight for our country, that while he was in these third world countries, there were moments in the dirt and grime that God revealed Himself and His beauty shone through. Kristin remarked that her grandfather once said that he knew for sure and certain that there was a God when he saw the Grand Canyon for the very first time. Chelsey said that she was in awe of God's detail in the process of pregnancy and birth (especially in light of all the pregnant women in our group.)

For me, it is when I run. Not that He doesn't reveal Himself in other ways and not that I only contemplate His glory when I run, but there is something about running that is so incredible. God designed my body to be able to persevere and push through 1, 2, 3, and 8 miles. He made my muscles strengthen and gave my lungs the capacity to fill and empty as I take each step. The fact that my body responds to the activity is amazing to me. Everything changes. Weight, muscle mass, the percentage of fat, etc.

I love that God is a God of detail. I love that He made my body to work the way that it does on purpose. He knew exactly what He was doing. I love that He created a beautiful world for me to observe while I am running (and an iPod to listen to courtesy of Anthony).

I want to be better about meditating on God's awesomeness. It is what we (I) are (am) called, as Christians, to do.

Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

This week I learned...

• I love organization (although the back seat of my car does not accurately portray that).
• Golden Girls is a must see before I go to bed.
• God's plan is beyond me and my job is to live it out the way He intended me to.
• Next semester is going to rock.
• This Half Marathon is going to be challenging.
• Massive amounts of fat are justifiable after Looooooonnnnngggg runs.
• Young Life in D.C. just might be my calling.
• I l-o-v-e being southern. (Not really something I learned this week...just a thought)
• I have now memorized the theme song to Golden Girls.
• Legal pads are the key to my sanity.

On Running a Half Marathon.

So, I am super crazy and I am planning on running the Augusta Half Marathon. In all actuality, it's not so crazy. I love to run and I have lots of friends running it. I am excited about girl time and the fact that we are doing this together. Yesterday's run was pretty awesome, but short. Four miles and I needed to do eight. We'll try again today.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

On not being perfect.

I am not perfect. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I struggle with sin on a daily basis. I struggle with big sin. I struggle with discontentment, even though I have the world's coolest job, a fabulous school schedule, a family who is awesome, incredible friends, and all the other niceities. I struggle with lust, lack of temperance or moderation, doubt, and selfishness. I complain, whine, and speak without thinking. I struggle with consistency in the word and time in prayer.

So, again, I am not perfect. I find it hard to say which one I am struggling with the most right now, but the one I am feeling the most (which I am sure can be contributed to the lack of consistency in the word and in prayer) is discontentment. Not discontentment with being in Columbus or my job or my general situation. Mostly it is with my lack of a significant other. This might sound like the most ridiculous thing ever, but it is oh so very true. I find that it doesn't so much help when three of your friends get in engaged in the span of two weeks, all of your past serious relationships (with the exception of one) are all in committed relationships (if not already married), and seven couples in your small group are preggers. Not that I want a kid right now and not that I want to get married right now, but I want/desire someone to talk to and go to dinner with and be a couple with. It sounds so silly when I start writing it out. But, I know that God has placed these desires in me for a reason. They are good in moderation and in perspective of God's sovereignty, but out of context and dealt with the way that I have been dealing with it, it is not healthy and sinful.

After a minor meltdown and some tears this afternoon, my mom reminded me of one of my absolute favorite passages in the bible and I want to share them.

Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. -Psalm 37:3-5

I love every part of that passage, but my favorites are "dwelling in the land and cultivating faithfulness" AND "Trust also in Him and HE WILL DO IT." I l-o-v-e that! Trust in Him and He will do it. Do what? Make my righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of my cause like the noonday sun. He will use me to glorify Himself.

The next part of the passage says to "be still and wait patiently on Him" and to "not fret when men succeed in their ways." So difficult, but with His help, we (I) am able to succeed in both. He is so faithful!

I am all about short term goals, so this week I am committing all my to Him. I am committing this week to the idea of dwelling in the land and cultivating faithfulness. This week I will trust in Him, knowing that He will DO IT. I will find moments to be still and wait and know that He is God. I will commit this week to Him, knowing that His plan for me is great, that His love endures forever, and that He loves me beyond anything that I can begin to comprehend. I am His and He is mine. What joy belongs to me!

Happy Birthday!

My sweet baby sister is turning 11 years old today! I can vividly remember the night she was born and the days leading up to it. Mom went to the hospital on Saturday afternoon and was sent home because she wasn't far enough along. After six babies, she thought she knew that it was time, but Katie (and God) had other plans. Over 24 hours later, Katherine Suzanne Garcia was born and cuter, sweeter, funnier little girl has never existed. I may be a bit biased, but I am telling you, this chick is awesome.


Happy Birthday, lovie!

Love,
Deedah

Also-Happy Birthday to Sally VGB! Love you so much!

Life to the max!

Psalm 139:1-6

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!

You asked for it...

Per request of readers, I have done some research and found clinics and individual healthcare professionals that provide affordable healthcare in the state of Georgia.

1. Georgia Free Clinic Network
2. St. Francis Hospital
3. Columbus Regional
   

There appear to be four clinics (see numero uno) in our area (Greater Columbus) that provide free healthcare or care on a sliding scale based on your income.

There are also various institutions that provide thousands of dollars of free healthcare through out the year. Keep an eye on your local news for events like the ones below.

1. United Concordia
2. Flagler County Free Health Clinic

Also, in addition to the fact that there are affordable healthcare options available if you look, there are also groups that work together to help each other pay for medical costs. My family has been apart of one of these groups for years. It is not insurance because no one is assuming financial liability. Instead, it sharing the gifts that God has given us. It's called Samaritan Ministries.

If you need more, just let me know and I will work on researching it some more.

**As a side note, in regards to the President's remark about car insurance, let me just point out that while it is the law to have car insurance, everyone has to provide it for themselves and the government has nothing to do with it. Just pointing that out...

Quote of the day.

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

Dr. Seuss

This week I learned...

1. The definition of "Tax Increase."
   
2. Driving for six hours by yourself can be lonely.
3. Sharing Young Life with my sister, Mary Lou, is a sweet, sweet thing.
4. I hate homework. (again...something I knew before...just throwing it out there.)
5. I L-O-V-E my job.
6. Relationships only go as deep as you want them to go.
7. Good old fashioned manual labor is a good feeling.
8. Home is where the heart is.
9. Sometimes, Anthony wakes up super smart.
10. Meghan Doll is a super good friend.

**Small Shout Out**Happy Birthday, Pops! Love and miss you!!!

Barack and George-101

I can't make this stuff up...still don't believe me?

You can watch it here:

BFFS (Best Friends Forever Sometimes)

After about five and a half hours on the road today, I am home from spending the weekend at Windy Gap. I thought my heart was going to stop working from going so fast as I drove up Coles Cove Road on Friday night. I was thrilled to back "home."

My reason for going up was to train to wrangle for weekend camps. I worked with the horses and spent all day Saturday outside; riding, mucking stalls, brushing horses, and learning the ropes of the barn. It was fabulous.

It always amazes me how quickly you become friends (or enemies) with folks that you are literally living on top of, even just for the weekend. I felt that way this summer after just a few days at Windy Gap doing summer staff. I felt that way again this weekend as I met folks who were also training. I met some great folks this weekend and had some great adventures.

Friday night was spent catching up with friends from Summer Staff. It was good to see "old" friends. Saturday was spent in the barn and Saturday night was spent exploring downtown Asheville with my new friends, Hannah and Doonie. We had dinner at camp, but ventured out on the town afterwards. We heard all sorts of music, varying from Regge, blues, jazz, and an old-timey Russian vibe. Pretty cool. We stopped at a local Cuban restaurant for some chips, dip, and RC Cola and then drove back to camp. What a night! Lots of laughter, good music, and yummy food.

Overall, it wasn't easy leaving this morning in the pouring rain to drive back to Columbus, but it's comforting to know that I will be back sooner, rather than later.

One of those days.

Today has been one of those days. You know the days. There are ups and downs and seems like there are more downs. It all seems to pile on at once. And then you find this:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Philippians 4:6-8

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of His Person] more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power out- flowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers]; and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death.

Philippians 3:10 AMP

Hehehe.

(404): i hope kanye doesn't show up to patrick swayze's funeral. " i'll let you get back to your funeral in a minute...but michael jackson had the best death of the year. just sayinnn ".

Procrastination is the name of the game...

Or maybe the name of the game is "Theresa-has-her-hands-in-too-many-pots." Yeah...that is probably more like it.

As it now stands, I am sitting in Chick-fil-A working on a five page paper on Utilitarianism. Woot Woot. Lunch at noon, more on the paper, study for a test, meeting at five, grocery store, small group.

"Work is man's most natural form of relaxation."
Dagobert D. Runes

The Most Best-est Mother in the World Award goes to...

My Mom. Why my mother above all the other mothers in the world? Well, that is simple. She's MY mom. But you probably want other, more (in your mind) logical answers and reasons. I have them, no worries.

Reason #1- She knows what my favorite magazine is and pulls it aside in the mail to give to me.
Reason #2- She is constantly available for lunch.
Reason #3- She doesn't mind late night chats.
Reason #4- She is in on the phone right now with Caroline's doctor fixing something for Caroline.
Reason #5- She rarely does anything that is just because she wants to. The motivation usually has something to do with something dealing with my or my siblings.
Reason #6- She bought me a dress for this wedding that I was in this weekend and told me to just pick it out and she would go pick it up for me.
Reason #7- She manages my dad's office, homeschools 4 kids, and runs our house. She is basically superwoman.
Reason #8- If she cooks a dinner that one of us loves and won't be able to be at, she always puts aside a plate for us to eat later.
Reason #9- She is the most snuggly mom I know.
Reason #10- She knows I am just like her and helps me work on the things she thinks aren't her best qualities.

What would Emily Post do?

I feel like I have a conversation about manners at least once a week. And if not manners, then we are talking about the proper protocol for a situation. I have always loved reading about manners and have worn thin the copy of Amy Vanderbilt's "The Guide to Gracious Living" which is sitting with me right now, but has a rather permanent home next to my bed (read=loveseat) at my parent's house. Needless to say, I know my manners. So, whenever there is a question of etiquette, the guys on the campaign usually come to me.

My mother made my morning when she handed me the newest edition of "Real Simple", my favorite, favorite, favorite magazine. Ever. I was thrilled to pieces when I saw that there was an article on manners and was doubly thrilled to see that it was written by the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post. Her name is Anna and she has a blog! The excitement triples at this point. You can click here to get to it!

Oh the joy that will be mine today as I sip a cup of tea on this overcast day and read my copy of "Real Simple." Good Morning, simple joys!

Happiness is...

I love being a mom. Oops...maybe I should rephrase that. I love playing a mom. My friends, Brooks and Jennifer are off at the Georgia Tech/Clemson game (Goooooo Jackets!!!!) and I am staying with their five little girls; Josie, Gigi, Emma, Stella, and Maggie.

Today consisted of a birthday party, soccer practice, bath time, story time, a song or two, bedtime, and tomorrow will consist of breakfast, speech practice, hair clothes, a spelling test review, and getting to school on time. I am so excited.

I love these girls so much and I love playing mom with them. Their sweet hugs and kisses fill me with a love that is overwhelming. "My cup is overflowing."

Healthcare, Obama, and the Constitution...oh my!

As the tension mounts across the country and the plot thickens in Washington, I find myself, once again, in the midst of the controversy. I am talking about the health care debate and my stance on the issue. I am standing on conservative ground and my left-wing friends don't like it. Shocking, I am sure. I faced criticism back in late winter/early spring when I began to seriously doubt the current administration. I was, admittedly, on the fence in the beginning of the 2008 election cycle. I wanted so badly to be able to have faith in the future of our country under the leadership of Barack Obama, but I was quickly slapped in the face with the harsh reality that that was not to be the case. So, once more, I am critical, and this time, adamantly opposed to another one of Obama's plans and my fearlessness to be vocal on the issue is causing a stir.

Obama is proposing a health care plan that will socialize medicine in this country and allow the government more, unfettered, access into our lives. Government controlled healthcare is the last thing this country needs. It is unconstitutional. No where in our constitution does it say anything about our government providing anything for the citizens of our country other than protection from those who seek to harm us and the basic rights given to all men and women by the God who created us. Note that healthcare is not one of those items. Our founding fathers never meant for our country to be ruled by anything other than a democracy. There is a chain of command in this country. It starts with God, then the individual, then the states, and then the federal government. Note that the federal government is at the bottom of the list. Small government and personal responsibility was the foundation in the making of this country. I refuse to let that go. The government has no business telling me how to go about getting healthcare. It is my responsibility to take care of that and I have no intention of giving up that job.

There are a million arguments for socialized health care. And there are some that I might be able to halfway agree on. But don't tell me that people shouldn't have to work for healthcare. Don't tell me that the government should hand it out on a silver platter. I work to be able to pay for my healthcare and so does the vast majority of America's everyday Joe Shmoe. There may be times when it is hard to pay for it and there may be times when folks go on a payment plan to get the health care that they need, but if it comes down to dying or incurring some debt to keep from dying, I am going to choose the debt.

Now, while I am one hundred and ten percent against Obamacare, hear me say this. I do not think that our healthcare system is perfect. I do believe that we have the best system in the world, but it is by no means perfect. And there is certainly room for reform. However, I do not in any way, shape, or form, believe that the solution to our problems are in socialized healthcare. "Free" healthcare is not free, my friends. It will come out of your pocket and mine. Not only will it come out of our pockets, but it will come out of our checking accounts and Big Brother will know our account numbers. It will be up to a committee of folks out of Washington telling you if you can or cannot have the treatment that you need and your personal physician, the one that you have known for years, the one that is your neighbor, friend, and former school chum, will be forced to look you in the eye and tell you that there is nothing that he can do. Not for lack of available treatments and not for lack of his not knowing what to do, but because the government may or may not think that you are worth it. I'm sorry, but I thought this was America? What America is it that we live in where the government is deciding who gets healthcare and who doesn't. The truth is, we all have the option to have healthcare and there are ways to go about getting it at little to no cost due to the generosity of doctors, dentists, nurses, P.A.'s, etc, who give of their own personal time and resources and volunteer them to communities all over the country. My own father is a part of a program here in my home town that provides free dentistry to those who cannot afford it at the regular price. So, don't tell me that you can't get healthcare at affordable prices in America.

My friends, this is no small thing. This is serious. There are other options, there is another way. If we continue down this road, the America that we know and love will cease to exist. She will fade into a memory and one day our children will look at us and ask us why we didn't fight to keep our country from going to the pits. I for one am not willing to let it go that easily. I want to be able to look my children in the eye and tell them I fought for the constitution, that I fought for them and their children.

I will continue to be vocal about my opposition to the proposed healthcare bill. I will continue to fight this issue. I will not let my America, my father's America, and my Grandfather's America go down the drain. We fought too hard for the freedoms we currently enjoy to allow this to go any further.

Best way to start the day...

I got up this morning and ran. As I ran back up the driveway afterwards, my little brother Ben came to meet me. He asked me how far I had run and I replied I had run to the end of our road and back up (a little over two miles). Ben's eyes became wide with admiration and a "Wow" came from his lips. It may not have been the farthest or best run of my life, but to my little brother, I had just run a marathon.

On being a Georgia Tech Fan

For the past three days, my life has been full of sporting events. Thursday night, I went to the last pre-season game for the Atlanta Falcons. Friday night, I went to the Braves game with my family. And then yesterday, I went to the Auburn game. All three games were a lot of fun and I enjoyed myself thoroughly every time. However, at the Auburn game in particular, I just couldn't get into it to the full extent that everyone else did. And thus, the following thought process was born.

I love being a Georgia Tech fan. No, I did not go there (although, future prospects are possible), but Ben Beck does go there and while we were dating, we enjoyed Tech and it's sports to the fullest. There is just something about the spirit of Georgia Tech that I cannot explain. I love everything about Tech. Football, baseball, basketball, tennis. You name it, I try and keep up with it. I love our little football field. Although it may not house as many folks as other stadiums, the atmosphere and intimacy is unbeatable. I love our cheers and chants. I love the white and gold. I love our fans and players alike.

I realized just how much I loved Georgia Tech when I attended the first Auburn game of the season yesterday afternoon. Here were my clues:

• I wanted to wear White and Gold soooo bad.
  
• I wanted to jump up and down while the band was playing "ooohhh. ooooh." (I can't remember the name...ehhh)
• Every time someone said "War Eagle", I wanted to respond with "Goooo Jackets!"
• The sea of orange and blue just wasn't as appealing to me as my own white and gold.
  
• As much as I love college football, it just wasn't as good.

Overall, my three games were awesome and I had a blast. But, I missed watching or even getting to hear my Yellow Jackets on the radio. Our next game will be no different. I have Young Life All City Club. At least this time, I can catch snippets on the radio.

Gooooo Jackets!

Amen and Amen

No one should die because they do not have access to a chick-fil-a, and no one should go broke because they have to drive hours to get to a chick-fil-a.

Just a little spoof of the Facebook status on ObamaCare that is going around today...

This week I learned...

1. Sometimes, waiting it out is the only thing to do.
2. A quarter can buy a whole lot.
3. George Foreman is one crazy son of a gun.
4. Volunteers are fantastic and necessary when running a good campaign.
   
5. God is always faithful, even when I am not.
6. Sleep is something I should work on getting more of.
7. Down weeks are good things.
8. I missed my ipod.
9. Some days you have to choose to be happy.
10. The next few weeks are going to be a lot of fun.
    

On Resting

I am not good at resting. A friend remarked the other night they wanted to know when I slept because it seemed like never to them. I can most definitely get by on just a few hours of sleep and function well the next day. Eventually, this fails me and I have to sleep for a long time, but I can do five to six hours of sleep (or less) a night for several months before the crash comes. Probably not the most healthy sleep habits to exist, but hey, it's working for now.

This is, more oft than not, what my spiritual life look like. I go for months on end with the bare minimum and then comes the crash. The crash varies. I will become depressed, feel empty and void, begin to fall back into my habits that existed before I knew Jesus, and become a cranky, crabby person. It's not a healthy way to live my Christian life.

The cure for both problems is to become more diligent about taking care of myself. I need to go to bed earlier, set aside more time to spend time with Jesus, be better at time management, etc. While the physical crash is not a fun one, I am pretty sure that the spiritual crash is a bit more horrifying.

I know I'm getting old because...

today when a high school girl ordered a large Diet Coke, the first thought that came to my mind was "You are way to young to be drinking Diet Coke." What?

This Week I learned...

1. Pedicures are one of God's greatest gifts to women (and men, if you are that kind of guy and I think that all men should be "that kind of guy")
2. CSU needs to rethink their parking situation.
3. Rain is one of God's greatest gifts to those who work at Chick-fil-A and have to work DTP.
4. Dinners that last from 6:30-11:15 can only have good outcomes.
   
5. I have a problem with taking on more than I can handle in the project arena.
   
6. I love politics more than I even thought I could.
7. Good friends are necessary to keep you grounded.
8. This weekend, Young Life is going to change Santa Rosa Beach forever.
9. God's mercy is raining down on me.
10. I am so glad that school is finally here.
    

This Week I Learned...

1. Constructive criticism is far better than DE-constructive criticism.
2. Walking the walk is a lot harder than talking the talk.
3. Addie and Ford Depue have only added to my mounting baby fever.
4. God's grace and goodness far surpasses my faithfulness, trust, and doubt.
5. I actually like living at home-minus the drive.
6. Don't complain unless you are willing to do something to change the situation.
7. Campaigning is one of the highlights of my day. Every Day.
8. Young Life is going to rock my world this semester in all the right ways.
9. My desires exist for a reason.
10. I hate thinking of something to post on while driving and not being able to write it down and then not being able to remember what it was later. Argh.

An Open Letter to Those Who Pay With Cash

Dear Cash Paying Customers,

Why is it that you feel the need to give me your extra change? Yes, I know that your total came to $5.71. That means that it makes zero sense for you to give me $21.64 to pay for your chicken sandwich. I am just going to give you $15.93. That is just as random and will involve more coins than giving me exact change or even better, and less time consuming, just give me the twenty dollar bill. Or a ten. You hold up the cars behind you when dig around for change in your cigarette tray or your purse or your pocket.

I'm guessing that it makes you feel better to know that you will get back just one dime rather than an odd amount of 17 cents or that you will get back a quarter rather than some other odd number. However, this really only makes me want to give you back the most number of coins I can.

So, please, next time, just give me the twenty. It will save us all a lot of time and honestly, if you do give me the strange change, I'm probably going to give you a lot of pennies.

Thanks,
Theresa

God Sightings/Moments

The past two days have not been the best. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have cried and cried and cried. I just feel blah and I feel that outside circumstances have just added to my feelings of blah-ness.

I have been repeating my comfort verses over and over to myself; "The King is enthralled with your beauty, Honor Him for He is your Lord." I still don't feel very pretty. My clothes don't fit, I hate what I have to wear everyday, boys do/say stupid things, people in general do/say stupid things, and my pride is at a ridiculous all time high. I am cranky and basically a Negative Nancy. I cannot agree with anything anyone says. None of this makes for a very happy camper. People are trying to help and I am turning them down. What is wrong with me?

I have had trouble finding joy, and so, I decided that this was the day to find joy. I decided this as I was driving to work at 5:30 AM, crying all the way. So, God and I had a little one on one. And He spoke His promises to me, sweetly and softly. And I cried some more. I am telling you, my hormones must be on fire. I haven't cried in awhile.

It all started when I was cleaning something or another and a fireman walked in and ordered his food. He was polite enough, nothing out of the ordinary. A few minutes later, he had his food and sat down to eat. I glanced over and he was praying. I immediately thanked God for allowing me to see that I am not alone. That I am a part of something bigger and that others share my search for the truest form of joy.

Then, a customer (a regular customer, at that) was a little more rude than usual. A friend of mine, Nick Cash, happened to be standing there and his face showed his feelings on the situation at hand. The lady walked away and Nick commented on her behavior. I told him it was par for the course with her and he still thought it was totally uncalled for-which, for the record, it was. After some time had passed, Nick came back up to the counter and said the following:

Theresa, you are doing a great job. No matter what anyone says or does, you are the apple of your Father's eye. Have a great day!

At this point, I am choking back more tears. I barely manage to get out "Thank you" before he is out the door and gone.

The rest of my day was filled with my sweet sister, a visit from my dad, Sarah Ann, and Mary Lou, sweet texts from friends, and finally being able to work on what my mom calls my "real work."

God is faithful in all things, at all times. His grace was evident today in all of the little moments He allowed me to experience.

This week I learned...

Two days late, but trying to get back on track.

1. Sometimes, just being is enough.
2. I am super excited about the Young Life Beach Trip.
3. The drive from Upatoi to Columbus is causing me to economize.
4. Ten in three. I can do it.
5. I like being claimed.
6. Home is where the heart is.
7. I am ready for the school year to start.
8. Reading is a better way to spend my time than being on Facebook 24/7.
9. I am so glad Caroline is home.
10. Sleep is something that I don't do as well without as I thought.

What time I am afraid I will trust in Him.

When I was a little girl, the verse in the blog title was one that I learned in Cubbies, a club organized by AWANA, a church group. I have always repeated that verse to myself when ever I am scared, whether it be because of a storm, quiet houses, dark roads late at night, or arriving home to an empty apartment.

There are other verses that have become crucial to my feeble mind. "Be ye kind one to another. Tender-hearted, forgiving one another." Mom used to use that one when we were arguing or bickering about something. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." A great life verse and one that I repeat to myself on a regular basis. "The King in enthralled with your beauty. Honor Him for He is your Lord." Whenever I start to feel gross and ugly, I say this one over and over again.

While we were at camp, Eve encouraged us to find our "life verse." She noted that it could change for each season in your life and was just whatever spoke to your heart at the time. As I began to think about it, the women in our group began to share theirs. "By His Grace, I am who I am." "I am the vine, and you are the fruit." "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to destroy. Seek me and you will find me."

As God's word was spoken over me, I knew what my newest life verse was meant to be. Psalm 86:11 says "Lord, Give me an undivided heart." As I poured over the scriptures in a rather constant state for four weeks, I found that I kept coming back to this verse and my heart was consistently coming back to contemplate it's meaning.

I will be the first to admit that my heart is divided more often than not. My focus is not always where it needs to be and I fail to just live out the life that God has given me with intention. I fail to be content, joyful. and faithful and instead suffer from a ungrateful heart, a complaining spirit, and a general discontentment with my situation. I long for an undivided heart. One that is focused Jesus and His love for me.

Any thoughts? What is your life verse?

McKoon for Sentate, District 29

You may have heard me talk about a man by the name of Josh McKoon before. He first appeared in my life last year during campaign season. He was the chair of the Republican Party here in Columbus, Georgia and an attorney in the Columbus area. At the time, I was running my uncle's campaign for city council. Josh sought me out and offered a great deal of advice about the campaign process. He was instrumental in our campaign and I learned a great deal from him.

When Josh told me he was planning to run for State Senate, I was more than thrilled and was ready get the ball rolling. Josh announced his campaign on June 9th and in 21 days raised over $40,000. Pretty impressive, yes?

Josh has been backed by Former Secretary of the Army Bo Callaway, Seth Harp-incumbent Senator for District 29, Harris County Sheriff, Mike Jolley, Sam Rawls of Knight-Rawls, former AFLAC executive George Jeter, and Synovus Chairman Richard Anthony.

Josh feels strongly about education and sees a need to focus on supporting our primary and secondary schools through ensuring local control and stabilizing the budget. Josh promises to work to restore control of our schools to teachers and parents and take it out of the hands of bureaucrats in Atlanta and Washington D.C. He believes that our community needs school superintendents, school boards, principals, teachers and parents running our schools again.

Water conservation is also an issue. Georgia is coming off the heels of the worst drought in the country over the last few years. While 2009 has brought much needed relief, the latest crisis exposed Georgia’s weakness in water infrastructure. Josh believes that we need to be to preparing for the future with a statewide water plan that includes reservoirs to serve all areas of Georgia and protect the interests of the Chattahoochee Valley Region.

Transportation will also be a top priority for Josh. Under the current administration Columbus has not been a priority in the State Transportation Plan. Josh has actively been engaged with State Leaders in changing our role in the current transportation process. The change in most statewide seats gives our region a new opportunity. Currently the 4% motor fuel tax is not dedicated to transportation, it goes to fund pork projects through the General Fund. Josh wants to introduce legislation to dedicate those funds solely to transportation projects. The last major improvements to Georgia’s transportation infrastructure was in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Josh promises that he will be a leading voice in making transportation a priority for Georgia and ensure the Lower Chattahoochee’s role in the decision making process.

All of these issues are important to me and I hope to you as well. And, while I am not a voter that votes on this next issue alone, I was affirmed in my dedication to this campaign after I read the following: After giving my life to Christ, I recognized how important it is that people of faith participate in the public square. I have tried to follow the principles of my faith in all aspects of my life, including my involvement in politics. That is what called me to help author the resolution supporting the Personhood Amendment to the Georgia Constitution, which would protect all unborn children in Georgia, that was passed at the Georgia Republican Party State Convention last May. I will represent all constituents in the same manner, and my service calls on me to to represent peoples from all backgrounds and faiths.

I hope that you will join me in supporting Josh McKoon as he pursues the office of State Senante. You can visit our website: http://www.joshmckoon.com/ Sign up to volunteer on the website and we will be in contact soon!

Note: All information concerning campaign issues was taken directly from the website.

The Blind Date

Last summer, I was with a friend (who will remain nameless) and her dad (who will also remain nameless) at a party for some other friends (who shall also remain nameless). The friend's dad (hereafter referred to as Tom) asked me if I was dating anyone and I said no and he said he knew someone he wanted to set me up with. I began to drill him, joined by his daughter (hereafter referred to as Lucy) and was really able to get little out of him. I later realized that it was because he knew that it was a bad idea. At the end of our conversation, all I know is the guy's name, where is from, who he works for, and that he has my phone number-courtesy of Tom.

Lucy and I "facebooked" this guy later and he actually "friended" me before I had the chance to so much as type his name. Lucy and I decided to scope out the situation and the next day headed over to Tom's place of work to eat lunch have lunch and just happen to meet this guy-who just so happened to work for Tom.

Long story short, he called me. We decided to go out to dinner. He asks me for some restaurant ideas since he was not from my neck of the woods and I gave him several. He decided on a nice Italian place.

I rather anxiously await the night. I had never been on a blind date, of sorts, and I was somewhat eager to see what would happen. I didn't have to wait long to find out. The night arrives and so does he; wearing khaki shorts, an over sized polo, tennis shoes, and tube socks. As I see him walking up my sidewalk, I wrestle with the ever so important decision to change into more casual clothing to match his attire or to stay appropriately dressed in my chosen outfit. I decided to stay dressed the way I was and opened the door to greet him. After introducing him to Surls and putting the pup away, we headed off to dinner in his car.

The food was fantastic. And I loved every bite. I had ravioli. And I loved it. I really did. The bread was good too. And I enjoyed my diet coke. And I know he enjoyed talking about his mother, real estate, and how much his college Alma mater meant to him.

After dinner, he decided he wanted to see the Springer. Not the inside, just the building. So, we drove downtown and literally looked at the building before driving back to my apartment where we proceeded to sit in his car for the next thirty minutes talking about his mother, real estate, and how much smaller, isolated, and better his college was than LaGrange College. I have to admit that I used the dog as an excuse to get out of the car and end the evening.

I called Lucy and Tom and recalled the evenings events to them, much to their amusement and laughter. Tom admitted to knowing that it probably wouldn't work, but wanted to show this poor fellow a good time in a new town.

I must not have made that great of an impression either. He never called again.

Packing, Moving, Unpacking, and Preparing to Pack and Move Again

I have spent the last ten days packing up my apartment and making many trips to my parent's house with small loads of whatever will fit in my car. It's been an adventure at best. Horrifying at worst. Really hard is the best way to describe it. I have lived in that little apartment for 2 years. I moved in during the summer of 2007 and experienced some of the best and worst moments of my newly independent life there.

• I had five different roommates.
• One cat (Remi...A.K.A. Satan)
• One dog (Surls)
• Got engaged (not in the apartment, but it happened while I lived there)
  
• Got un-engaged (in the parking lot of the apartment complex)
• Bought my first Christmas tree
• Had my own closet
• Had five jobs
• Made new friends
• Lost old friends
• Joined Young Life
• Changed my major at least three times
• Had fights
• Made up after fights
• Got some old friends back
• Lost a TV
• Gained a better TV
• Lost better TV
• Was loaned a TV
• Had awkward conversations
• Had deep conversations
• Wrote epic emails
• Received epic emails
  
• Became a couch sleeper
• Joined a new church
• Had good dates
• Had bad dates
• Went on a blind date
• Hosted dinner parties
• Became a fan of the care package
• Became a fan of "The Real Housewives"
• Fell in love
• Fell out of love
• Cooked good dinners
• Burned good dinners
• Watched good movies
• Watched bad movies
• Became a better blogger

That apartment has a lot of Theresa in it. It was hard to load up those last few boxes and turn my keys in. A whole, long chapter closed when I locked that door. The new chapter is exciting, but I am going to miss the old one.

I am living at home for a month before Dad finishes renovating the attic above his office into a loft apartment for me, Caroline, and Sarah Ann. It is a super great deal. No rent, live with my sisters, and the ability to walk to school make this new living arrangement fantastic.

All in all, a good, but tiring ten days. Who knew you could acquire so much junk (or in my case, clothes) in just two years?

Here's to new chapters and new apartments.

My Latest Love Affair.

I keep saying that the month was perfect and swooning over Windy Gap like a silly school girl. You are probably wondering what the big deal is. It was summer camp, you say. And yes, it was summer camp. And so much more.

But, what does that even mean? I mean, loooonnnnggg days with early mornings and late nights don't make for a month of rest and relaxation. Sure the food was pretty good and those mountains were gorgeous, but was it really that great? Was the hard work worth it? And kids who were sometimes rude and thoughtless, were they really worth it? And those hot days that turned into cold nights? How did that work out? What about all those times when there was work to do and everyone else was playing?

Every moment was savored. From sweet, corporate worship to conversations so deep and meaningful. Words of wisdom from Eve and Kent and going on long walk/runs with Rachel and Allie. Almost dying in the swing with Hampton and giving the weather report on Thursdays and Fridays. All of these moments were wonderful. All of them.

God showed His love to me in each one. He was extravagant and sweet. He was close to me in every moment and in ways that I never knew before. As our month began to come to an end, I kept saying that I was so excited about walking with Him in a sweet brokenness, rather than a painful one. I have walked with Jesus in a personal relationship for over two years now. But a lot of that time has been painful, filled with tears and anger and bitterness. However, so much healing has taken place in my heart and there is now a sense of sweet communion with Him that I have never felt before.

I believe that a lot of this has come from spending a month immersed completely in Him and His love. Everyday was focused on Jesus and it was hard to go long without Him on the brain. I learned so many lessons and am writing them out, slowly, but surely.

It's hard to explain exactly what it feels like to leave such a special place if you haven't experienced something similar, but hopefully I can capture some of it over the next few posts.

Welcome home, Seester!!!!

From Germany...

To Georgia....
She's baaaacccckkkk!!!!


Or at least on her way. We are headed to the airport to retrieve the world traveler this afternoon! I cannot wait to see her. More later!

This week I learned...

Whew! I haven't done this in awhile! Back to the grind...a fun grind though it be.

1. I miss Windy Gap.
2. I miss my sister more.
3. Although the food at WG was awesome, I think most would agree with me when I say the fruit was not so awesome. Fruit here at home is mucho better-o.
4. Running the hills of North Carolina trained me to run the slight inclines in Georgia.
5. I need to work on responding in love.
6. Eve was right about so much and my new little Columbus haven is just one thing on that list.
7. God is everywhere, not just at WG. (I mean, I knew that. I just might not have felt it.)
8. I am excited about the new chapter of my life that begins this week.
9. Facebook is almost painful these days.
10. No T.V. is one of my new favorite perks to living in the attic. (more on this later...)

Random Fact**I have listened to nothing but Drew and Ellie since returning to Columbus.

Sometimes, you have to see it to believe it.

Perfect summer. Hands down. God was extravagent with His love. It was rained down on me.

Remember that night you DIDN'T wake me up?

Imagine this scenario with me. It's a beautiful night. It's been a great day. The campers have been told about their sin problem and then given the solution of our sweet Saviour, Jesus. Camp was completely blacked out (except for the silly Adult guests who got in their car and turned their headlights on about five times), summer staff and work crew sang on the hill, summer staff was rewarded for their speediness in setting up the county fair with treats from the Sippy, and bible study happened for the last time as a big group. Are you still tracking?

We walk back up to Cedar (the summer staff cabin) and Andy has moved one of our love seats onto our porch. I sit down with him and we are talking with Kylie, Daniel, and Gus. People come and go throughout the conversation. Andy leaves. I lay down with the blanket that was on the arm rest. Jacob and Matt join me. We start to talk and my eyelids start to grow heavy. I drift in and out of sleep, not wanting to go to bed because I might miss something. (Those who know me understand that this has been a lifelong problem for me).

The last thing that I remember is Jacob still sitting in the chair next to me. The next thing I remember is waking up to Drew and Ellie Holcomb singing "The Vally" at FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. Yes, folks, I slept on the porch, outside, all night long. Don't get me wrong. I was very comfortable. That love seat is just the right size for me and I had a blanket. That, added on to the fact that I can sleep anywhere, insured a decent night's sleep.

At breakfast, I had four or five different people ask me if I MEANT to sleep outside. Uh...no. I did not. Did you MEAN to NOT wake me up and tell me to go to bed? "Oh, it just seemed like something you would do?" What the heck does that even mean?

At any rate, my throat is a bit scratchy and there is the possibility that I could have been attacked by raccoons, skunks, bears, or badgers. I'm just sayin'...

Starting the goodbye process.

Camp is buzzing tonight as campers near the end of their week here at Windy Gap, Work Crew and Summer Staff end their month at Windy Gap, and Property Staff and Interns get ready for the new session to arrive.

As I sit here in the office, I can see campers taking pictures, there are people having four different conversations in front of me, and everyone is getting sad about leaving and a bit indignant about all these new people coming in to take our places. (That last point is a joke...kinda)

Lots of packing has to occur tonight and we are all trying to cram in last minute conversations and special goodbyes. Pray for the Session Two Team as we get ready to leave this special place!

Fire and Dynamite-By Drew Holcomb

This is a song that Drew and Ellie sing a lot here at camp. It gives me the "Whooshes"* everytime I hear it.

Some people talk to angels
Some people talk to themselves
I don't know who you're talking to
But everything you say makes me want you

Some people run in circles
Some people run forever
I don't know where you're running to
But everywhere you go makes me want you

(Chorus)You are a novel in a sea of magazines
You make me nervous, You make my heart beat
You are red in a sea of black and white
You are a fire, you are dynamite

Some people try to change the world
Some people just stay alive
I don't know what you're living for
But everything you do makes me want more

(Chorus) You are a novel in a sea of magazines
You make me nervous, You make my heart beat
You are red in a sea of black and white
You are a fire, you are dynamite 2x

You are a fire, you are dynamite (2x)

*Definition of Whooshes-When your heart falls into your stomache and comes back up super fast. Also known as "Butterflies."

Drew and Ellie

We have had a dream team when it comes to assigned team here at Windy Gap. Great program guys, an incredible speaker, and fabulous musicians. Everyone gets along and everyone shares the same passion for telling kids about Jesus.

One of my favorite parts of this summer has been getting to know Drew and Ellie Holcomb. They are the entertainment here at camp and they are fabulous. They are quite obviously in love with one another and both share an incredible passion for Jesus and sharing His love, along with being ridiculously talented.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Ellie one afternoon and swap stories with her. It was crazy how similar our stories are. She was with a guy before Drew and they almost got married. She went through a pretty dark time and is very open about that. Her words, her pain, and her general out look on the situation reminded me of myself when Ben and I broke up. Her reliance on the Father. Her tears and depression. Her need for Jesus. As she told me of feeling love and then being rejected, my own past came back to me in a quick and nauseating fashion. We shared with each other the lies that Satan had fed us during our dark moments, the love of our earthly parents that was showered on both of us, the goodness of sweet friends, and then finally, we shared our discovery of the truest, purest love that has ever existed. Ellie's patience, faith, and sweet submission to her heavenly Father was rewarded with a marriage that is one of the sweetest I have ever seen.

Ellie tells the story of her and Drew's dating by saying that just one week into the relationship, Drew sat her down and told her that he was going to hurt her and disappoint her. Ellie's immediate response was "Oh no." Not exactly what you want to hear, right? Drew told her, "I'm human and I am going to mess up. But I just want you to run towards Jesus, because He is going to love you way better than I ever could." Just let that soak in for a minute.

Girls, when you meet the man that says that with sincerity and honesty, snatch him up. What love!

Check out Drew and Ellie's music with the link provided above. More stories to come.

Coming Home

Nervous is the only word I can think of to describe what I am feeling today. Scratch that. Add fear to that list. Eight more days of camp and then I am Columbus bound and I have to admit, that scares me to death. I miss family and friends, but I don't want to go home.

I enjoy life here. It's safe and secure. It's calm (for the most part). It's structured and based on routine. It's God-filled. It's defined. I love the people here. I could go for a little more variety on the food front at this point, but it's still pretty good. I love wearing my keens every day. I love worshipping here. I love my quiet times here. I love the kids. I was made for this and I know it.

I have a lot of reflective moments here. God has certainly been working in me and has convicted me of certain things. Change will occur when I return home and I am sure that there will be repercussions in response to some this change.

Change will also happen in the form of me moving home for about a month before moving into an apartment above my dad's office to save on rent. I'll also have a new major in the fall, a new group of freshmen coming to Shaw High school, and new goals-both private and public.

My friend, Grant, probably said it the best when we were talking this afternoon. He said, "Look at this as an opportunity to shine as a bright light. " I know he is right. I just want to be ready to be the light.

Jeremiah 29:11-14-
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 a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

What do you know about Jesus?

This is a different week at camp. We have a lot of inner-city kids from Dallas here and we also have a group of special needs kids this week. I am going to write about the inner-city campers later, but I want to focus on Capernaum kids first.

Summer Staff has the incredible opportunity to serve the special need leaders by watching their campers while they are in leader meetings. This just means hanging out and playing games, talking and just being a friend.

Yesterday, as I was going through the mail, I saw that one camper, Paul Walker, had a TON of mail. Turns out, Paul Walker is one of our Capernaum campers. I got to hang out with Paul last night and help him open his mail. He can read and write and he loved his letters. I was especially touched by a card his mom sent telling him to be a good listener so that he could learn more about Jesus. I asked Paul what he knew about Jesus and his answer was this: "He's alive! He's alive! Hallelujah! He's alive!"

Wow. I'm going to go ahead and tell you what I am sure you already know. I cried. To see Jesus in Paul's face and realize that his parents want him to know Jesus was very powerful. The joy in Paul is evident and it comes out in the smallest things. From writing out song lyrics, to hearing others sing, to his sherriff's badge and handcuffs, Paul loves life. He is a happy individual. He is made in God's image and loves him in the ways that he knows how to love.

I am so excited about the rest of the week and keeping an open eye to the work that God is doing here at camp. Please pray for us as we seek to minister to these campers!

"Give me an undivided heart, Lord."

Sundays are pretty special here at Windy Gap. It's our sleep in day, our optional breakfast day, our new camper day, but most special to me is the fact that today is the day that as a whole camp of summer staffers, work crew, summer interns, assigned team and families, and staff, we worship the Lord together.

I really dig John Sharp's preaching/worship style and today was no different. He had all of us chose a verse that had been on our hearts and read it aloud to one another. Having God's word read and shared in that way was so sweet and powerful. John explained it as giving a gift to one another; that gift being the word of God. We talked about loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. Learning to love one another extravagantly.

After the reading of the Word, John had us pray that God would take our thoughts captive. I was struck my one particular verse that was read today from Psalm 86, verse 11b. "Give me an undivided heart." It is so easy to be divided in your heart, even when you aren't in the real world. Distractions are less here, but exist all the same.

And so this becomes another part of my prayer this month. That God will give me an undivided heart. That I will focus on Him completely and be filled by His spirit. I want to be satisfied by Him alone, realizing that everything else is merely frosting, if you will.

More later. Much love and many thanks for reading and praying.

4th of July: Windy Gap Style

Work, work, work! I spent America's birthday working with some of my favorite people, taking a two hour nap, eating a yummy dinner, attending club and Say So, checking cabins, and then heading into Ashville for some firework fun.

Summer staff got to go into town and see the fireworks display and then we had the option of Wal-Mart or Waffle House. And I chose Waffle House, along with five other people. We finished off the night back at camp with lots of laughter and just good quality time spent together.

Pictures to come later.

Camp Pro's and Con's.

Pro's:

• Food
• People
• Good God time
• Being outside all.the.time.
• Frisbee Golf
• Cool mountain weather
• Wearing keens every single day
• Laying by the pool at least three times a week
• Getting mail
• Good conversations with good people

Con's

• Food
• Sick People
• Knowing I have to go home at some point
• Missing family
• Being pampered by this lovely weather and knowing that I have GA humidity to look forward to

Camp, Home, Chick-fil-A, Wedding, Reception, Camp.

Saturday morning, I got up, drove six hours to Columbus, Georgia, had lunch with my sweet mom and Katie (at Chick-fil-A), went home, took a shower, got dressed, went to the church, sang in my sweet friend's wedding, went to the reception that I was only planning to stay at for about thirty minutes and ended up staying for almost five hours, went home around 11:30 PM, crashed, woke up at 4:45 AM this morning, took a shower, got on the road before 5:30 AM, and was back at camp before noon.

It has been an insane weekend and I am super tired, but it was well worth it. I would not have missed Jessica's wedding and being a part of her special day for anything. The reception was fantastic and I got to swing dance all night.

Tonight is a long night. We have "Camp Tour" (more on this later) and then we have the obstacle course, which means no bed until midnight. Pray for me, please!!

Love to all!

Conversations with Eve

I am going to take a moment to clarify some things before I move on to what this post is actually about.

• Work Crew vs. Summer Staff- Work crew are high schoolers who spend a month working on various properties. Summer Staff are college students who do the same thing. Work Crew works a whole lot harder than Summer Staff. Camp could not run without them.
• Each of the above have a male and female coordinators.
• My job is in the office and it entails a lot of answering the phone, giving kids band-aids, talking on the radio, giving weather updates, writing letters, updating the blog, etc...

Ok. Now that all of that stuff is out of the way, I can write about what I really wanted to write about.

Eve is our female summer coordinator and she is awesome. She has lots of wise words to offer and I really enjoy spending time with her. Last night, we were talking about the difference between our world here at Windy Gap and our world at home. We aren't living in the real world here. I mean, we all know that Michael Jackson is dead (except, I am convinced he isn't dead and he's just hanging out with Elvis on some island recording a new duet album) and that Ed Mcmann and Farrah Fawcett both died this week. Oh, and we know about Jon and Kate getting a divorce. But that is about our extent of the real world here at Windy Gap. Our world is filled with praise and worship, bible reading, consistent Christian fellowship, and prayer. Our world here is filled with the things that we all wish our lives at home were filled with. We all wish that we were as consistent with quiet times at home like we are here. We all wish that God was less than a thought away at home like He is here. We all wish that our prayer lives were as alive at home as they are here. But that just isn't the way it is.

Mine and Eve's conversation was really centered around relationships and the fact that there is so much possibility for "purple" (pink and blue combined...girl and guy stuff) to happen here. I mean, you are surrounded by people, of the opposite sex, who all have the same passion as you. They all love Jesus and they all want to share that with high school kids. It really doesn't get much better than that. If that's what you are into. But, Eve made a fantastic point. You don't want your relationship to start here at camp, because it's not real. I'm not my true self here. I am who I really want to be, not the T who lives in Columbus, GA. And they aren't their real selves either. That's a huge part of why dating while at camp is off limits. Of course, there is the say that goes like this: "Go to club, find a hub!" Or, "Go to Young Life, find your wife!". And it's so true. Lots of matches and happy marriages come out of Young Life and summer staff assignments...they just all happen after you have finished your assignment.

These are just some of Eve's wise words. I am sure I will have a lot more. We are going through the book of John and she is a fantastic teacher. I'll write about that later.

No more updates until Monday. I am headed home tomorrow for a whirlwind trip to sing in Jessica M.'s wedding and then head back to WG on Sunday!!! Pray for me!

Day Five and it just keeps getting better.

Again, I am more than happy and doing quite well here at Windy Gap. My team is incredible and we grow closer each moment. Every meal is precious time spent with each other. Every free moment is another chance to bond. And we grab every opportunity. We sincerely and genuinely love one another already. I could not ask for anything better to do for this month.

Please pray for us as we love on one another and build one another up; spiritually and emotionally. Please pray for our health, that we would stay well. Please pray that we would be safe and protected.

Thank you to those of you who read and pray. You love me so well!

This week I learned...

1. Don't go to bed at 1 A.M. the night before you drive six hours.
2. Big deposits are best done with two people.
3. High Kicks is one of the best parts of the day.
4. I want to be INTENTIONAL.
5. Hills are killer on the legs.
6. The food at Windy Gap is too good for my own good.
7. No air conditioning in North Carolina is A-OK.
8. Water is crucial here.
9. Young Life is a large/tiny community.
10. God is moving in ways far beyond my comprehension.

Sweet Communion

First of all, I am having the time of my life. I am comfortable in my surroundings and I love the people I work with. So there's that.

Communion is a pretty big deal to me. A lot of Jesus' greatest conversations came from breaking bread with someone. Also, in order to take communion you need to be right with God and your fellow man. Sunday, we prayed together and worshiped our Savior together and then we took communion together.

In all actuality, this whole month is like taking communion. While we are here to serve others, this month is totally focus on Jesus and our relationship with Him. We are working on being right with the Father. And in all of that, we are to love one another and tackle issues before they really become issues.

Last night, as we ate BBQ on the hill and just hung out afterwards, my thoughts were on the future. What these fellow summer staffers are to me right now will totally change at the end of the month. At the end of the month, these will be some my dearest and closest friends. At the end of the month, I will look back and see this past month as some of the sweetest earthly communion that I have ever experienced.

Speaking of earthy communion, that brings me to heavenly communion. These past three days of being at Windy Gap have been filled with prayer. It's almost impossible to go through the morning, afternoon, or evening without being in some kind of conversational mode with God. Everything here screams out His name. It proclaims His creativity, His beauty, and His grace. From the scenery, to the sight of high schoolers working and serving other high schoolers, to walking into our living space and seeing ten other summer staffers in the Word as I walk in. All of these situations nudge me towards the cross and my Savior. My morning runs are spent in prayer. My conversations are spent talking about testimonies, personal relationships with Christ, controversial religious matters, and God's grace in our lives. Of course, we talk about our favorite football teams, our favorite food, what we miss about home, etc. But God is certainly present with us and it is evident that we all desire that.

Sweet communion. Three days in and I am already certain that this is the sweetest I have ever experienced.

First Day at Windy Gap!!!

I am here at camp and I have Internet access! I am not sure how often I will be able to update, but I am going to try and be on top of it.

The ride up to Weaverville was pretty good. I was super tired and pulled over in a hotel parking lot (in a highly populated area, Mother) to sleep for all of fifteen minutes and I felt so much better. I was also able to stop for lunch at the Garvin's and get a sandwich and visit for a bit. I arrived at camp around six. My luggage was loaded onto a UHaul and sent up to my cabin.

We ate a dinner of pizza and salad and I met my fellow summer staffers. They are pretty awesome and they are from all over the place. There are a lot of people from Texas. And there is a girl from L.A..

After dinner, we spent time together in worship and we went over some camp business. We also introduced ourselves. We split up into Summer Staff and Work Crew (I'll explain the difference later) and had separate meetings and got to know one another better. A bunch of us had to go back down to our cars to get more stuff and we were warned about a bear that seems to be hanging around and it was not a joke. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm on the lookout.

Work has been great today. I love my job. Lots of answering the phone and filing. I also get to talk on the radio and look up weather reports. They are calling me the meteorologist because of my fancy language when I give the radar report to the guys. I am pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. :)

I am having a blast. I seriously might never come back.

Update again soon! So much more to tell. Love to all. Thank you for all your prayers!

Still packing...

I know that I am going to forget something when I leave...TOMORROW! I cannot believe that it's already here.

I had a small break down this afternoon as I was saying goodbye to my dad. Actually, it happened after I got in the car and drove away. He doesn't know. Shhh...don't tell him. Again, I am a little nervous about leaving, but I know it's going to be a great trip.

Pray for me as I drive tomorrow, please! I will update the blog as I get a chance. Here is the address again, just in case some of you get the urge to write me. :)

Windy Gap (Theresa Garcia-Summer Staff)
120 Coles Cove Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

So long for a month!

On Leaving

My mother will be only to happy to know that I am a little nervous about leaving for a month. For the past week, I have more than a few moments of anxiety and fear when thinking about my upcoming trip to North Carolina. I start to get all panicky and I get a knot in my chest.

I am not the kind of girl who gets home sick. Rather, I have a HUGE fear of the unknown. I am positive that the coming month will be awesome and I will have a blast. But, for all of my friendliness and outgoing personalty traits, I get shy and nervous when meeting new people in an unfamiliar place. When I am on my turf, it is one thing. But this whole new territory thing wigs me out a little bit.

It's certainly not for lack of planning that I am nervous. I have a million lists and am currently sitting amongst piles of clothes that I have packed and unpacked and the repacked. And then unpacked. (Repeat) There is the "Definitely going with me" pile. The "might-go-with-me" pile. And the "I-thought-about-taking-this-with-me-but-thought-better-of-it" pile. And I still have clothes in the washer. I am going to to forget something for sure and certain.

In all of this, I know God has called me to Windy Gap for the next month. I know how this application process works and I know that God's hand is in it from the get-go. My trust is in Him because His grace is sufficient. Please pray for me as I pack (I hate that part), attempt to remember all the little extras, and drive the six hour drive to North Carolina. But most of all, please pray for my heart as I seek to grow closer to the One who called me to this adventure.

I wish...

I wish that I could spend my day playing outside. I wish that I had some sidewalk chalk. And a kite. I wish I could go climb a tree. I wish I could play in a creek. I wish I could play "Little Women", "Little House on the Prairie", and "Free Willy." I wish that my American Girl doll was still the most expensive thing on my wish list. I wish that my dream guy was still Adam from "Bonanza" and I wish that I was ok with my bunk bed being my "car."

I wish that I had the faith of a child. I wish that my unbelief was less. I wish that I didn't wrestle with doubt. I wish that I relied more fully on grace that is sufficient. I wish that I had faith that moved mountains. I wish I was more forgiving, tolerant, loving, gracious, merciful, faithful, committed, and kind. I wish I was less hateful, judgmental, disrespectful, lazy, and a host of other failures.

I am grateful that despite these shortcomings, my comfort comes from the fact that "I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him." (Heidelberg Catechism Question Number One)

This week I learned...

1. I miss writing.
2. I'm Jacob.
3. Peggy Jenkins is an interesting lady.
4. I'm a little nervous about spending a month with no facebook.
5. God is good in all things at all times.
6. The less I drive the less gas I use. Shocking lesson, I know.
7. Sometimes, it is better to leave well enough alone.
   
8. Trust is a two way street.
9. However, Love can be a one way street...
10. I wish I had an older brother.
    

Chick-fil-A

For those of you who don't know, and I assuming that is most of you, I started working for Chick-fil-A this past week. There were a lot of factors in my making this decision, the biggest one being money. Ever since my senior year of high school when I worked for Country's BBQ, I swore I would never work in the food industry again. However, the schedule is also going to be awesome and it is a job that I can go to and leave it there at work when I go home. It is going to be great with school in the fall.

The first SIX hours of working at Chick-fil-A are spent watching videos. Yes, folks. That's right. SIX WHOLE HOURS. A lot of it was pretty stupid, but I really enjoyed hearing the Truett Cathy story and how Chick-fil-A came to be. After watching several interviews (approx. an hour's worth), I got kinda excited about working for this company. The Cathy's aren't pulling anyone's leg with their reasons for being closed on Sundays and being a beacon of light in a dark world. This family truly loves the Lord and is committed to providing excellent service to those who come into contact with Chick-fil-A. This may sound super silly, but it made me want to truly put my best foot forward because, now, I feel like if I don't, I am letting Truett Cathy himself down. I know. It sounds absurd. It's just a fast food joint. But I swear it's not. There is something different about this company. I know what that something different is. It's in their purpose statement.

"That we might glorify God by being a faithful steward in all that is entrusted to our care, and that we might have a positive influence on all the people that we might come in contact with."

I mean, come on! How obvious can it be? It's all about service and it's all about doing it in the name of Jesus. I love that.

So, come see me at Chick-fil-A and I promise there will be true sincerity behind every "My pleasure." Every time.

Windy Gap, Here I come!

This coming Saturday, I am headed to North Carolina to work for a month at Young Life's Windy Gap. I am asking for your prayers during this month. Please pray for traveling mercies as I drive up to Weaverville on Saturday morning. Please pray for me as a I seek to minister with those on Summer Staff and Work Crew. Please pray for the hearts of kids as they come to camp. Pray that God's love would wash over them and that He would show Himself in a mighty way. Please pray for Young Life staff as they give talks, conduct music and skits, and present the gospel in ways many of these kids have never experienced.

Selfishly, I covet your prayers as I spend time with the Lord in the coming month. I have never done anything like this before, but I know that God has a plan for me. Please pray that my quiet times would be productive, that I would be filled with His spirit, and return refreshed by His love. Please pray that God would fill me with grace as I serve in His name over the next month and send me home on fire for Him and His people.

I love you all so much and appreciate you more than you know. I can't wait to fill you in on all my adventures when I return home. If you feel moved to send little notes to me while I am gone, the address where you can reach me is below. :) Check out the website too! Windy Gap is pretty awesome!

Much love and many thanks!
Theresa

Windy Gap (Theresa Garcia-Summer Staff)
120 Coles Cove Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Web site: windygap.younglife.org

An evening with two of my favorite boys.

The Alford boys are three very special boys and I love keeping them. William, Henry, and Andrew always make me smile and they are a joy to "hang out" with. So, when their mom, Stephanie, called me about a month ago asking me to keep them tonight, I was more than willing to say yes.

William is spending the night with a friend, so it's just me and the younger two. When I arrived, Andrew immediately set to informing me of his love for John Deere (Of which I was acutely aware), what we were having for dinner, and the whereabouts of his big brother, William. Henry followed shortly thereafter.

After Stephanie and Bryan left, the boys and I headed outside for some playground action. As I sat there watching them play, I started to drift away into my own thoughts and before long I realized it was a little more quite than before. I looked back over at the boys and their gaze was very intent on a specific object. A small bird was hopping across the yard. Andrew started to tell Henry to go after it. Henry said "Shhhh." Andrew mimicked his older brother and Henry said "I was talking to you. Be quite." Andrew remained silent as Henry crept across the yard, head bobbing back and forth in an Egyptian way. The bird continued to hop until it was safely in a bush and out of reach from two curious little boys. We moved on to swinging and the next thing I hear from Andrew is what sounds like a college football fight song. Nope. "Bob the Builder" theme song was coming out of this fella's mouth. However, when I asked Henry who is favorite football team was, he quickly replied "Aubrin." With this mention, Andrew burst into "War Eagle! Fly down the field!..." Awesome.

Bathtime and bedtime followed shortly. After I had both of them in the bed for good, I hear "TWEESA!!!!" coming down the hallway. Andrew continued to yell his variation of my name as I walked from the kitchen into his room. I stood in the doorway and he got very quiet. "Yes?", I asked. "Is there a problem?" Calmly, Andrew replies, "I ter-sty." Off I go to get water and the rest of the evening was fairly quiet.

I love these boys and I love how much I get to laugh when I am with them.

The Road to Frontier, 2009-Day Six

Thank you for your prayers for these Columbus Young Life kids and leaders. Know that they are appreciated and that I am praying that you would not grow weary in your petitions to God. Please pray that today would be glorifying to God and that He would continue to pursue these kids like only He can do!

Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

This week I learned...

1. Good lunches can revive great friendships.
2. My best friend has a heart of gravel, smells like freshly mowed grass, and doesn't mind when I walk...er...run all over him.
   
3. There is a website that will let me watch every episode of The West Wing for FREE!
4. There are only eighteen days left before I leave for a beautiful month in the mountains. Woot.
5. A little sunshine secures my heritage as a Mexican and wipes out all thoughts making me an Asian.
   
6. A little pasta goes a long way on a college budget.
7. Maybe sleeping on the couch so much isn't such a great idea.
   
8. Having the Goose around is one of the best parts of summer.
9. "Normal" collegiate life is right around the corner.
10. My small group is one of the biggest blessings in my life. (Not a new realization...just a shout out.)