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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

On blooming where planted.

I am not a patient person by any means. I would rather buy plants that have already bloomed and arrange them prettily in front of my house than plant the seeds and wait for them to grow. I would rather go into Chick-fil-a and place my order than go through the drive through and have to sit in line even though it will probably end up taking the same amount of time. I'll do anything to make myself feel like I am actually DOING something when I become anxious about a situation. I make lists and phone calls. I write blogs and I analyze every possible scenario. I get the opinions of far too many people. I think about it until I cannot think about it anymore. All of this is a show of my lack of a virtue called patience.

I have found that with impatience comes discontentment. I hate seeing these two words written out. There is something about the "im" in front of patience and the "dis" in front of contentment that makes me cringe. But I digress. With impatience comes discontentment. And I find myself in a seemingly constant state of both. College is a fine example of that. I have changed my major six times. Music and Theater, Theater, English, History, Political Science, and then Journalism and Photography. And the thoughts of what I will do with all of these change from day to day. I'll do theater! I'll be a politician! I'll be a lawyer! I'll run for office! I'll be a college professor! I'll be a journalist, a photographer, a pre-K teacher, a missionary, a Young Life staffer. You name it, I want to be it. Aside from a fire-fighter, a ballet dancer, and a stripper, I have probably aspired to pretty much everything.

I am a planner to a fault. I like to know what I am doing every moment of every day. I schedule to a tee and often to the detriment of my poor sleep deprived body and the disappointment of friends and family. I like to think of myself as a fly-by-the-seat-of-pants kinda girl, but alas, that is only a dream. Often, I find that it doesn't really matter what the plan is as long as I have a plan. One plan keeps me going until the next one comes along.

My latest string of plans have been about as wide spread as you can imagine. I applied to the University of Texas in Austin for admission (for which I was denied), applied to Mission to the World for a year long mission trip to Peru (on which I am currently waiting for the process to pick up a little speed...great...waiting), and am currently in the process of working on a back up plan for the possible failure of my world traveling adventure. This plan involves moving into a cheaper housing situation (possibly known as my parent's home), getting a job, and going to school full time (by full time, I mean as many hours as possible). There is a lot that goes into all of this and a lot of decisions that need to be made pronto. Again, the patience thing (or lack thereof) is getting in the way.

However, I feel God working in me as I go through this unsettling time. While my life is full of uncertainty as far as my earthly plans go, I find that my certainty and faith in my heavenly Father only grows. He is constantly removing parts of my life that have no business being there and replacing them with moments, people, and situations that can only come from Him. When it seems like there can be no reason for various situations that arise, He gently reminds me that I am His and He is mine. His plan is in action and His promises are good. I can call on Him day and night. He never sleeps. He longs for me to call out to Him in the darkness.

"Hey God. You there? Because I am."

I am a refuge in times of trouble. I care for those who trust in me.

"Yeah, I know that."

Do you, Theresa? Are you really trusting in me?

"Maybe..."

You do not have because you have not asked me.

"Help me in my unbelief."

For I know the plans I have for you, 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, and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.

It is so easy to write this down. To pretend like I have all the answers. Please hear me when I say that I do not have all the answers. I worry and panic. I stress out. I don't always ask. However, I know that when I do ask, He willing gives it to me. As I lay in bed last night with the beginnings of what I knew was panic, I cried out to Him for a peace that passes all understanding and He gave it to me. As I worry about my apartment, money, summer and fall plans, boys, jobs, and a host of other things that feel so important, God is gracious. From weekends in Birmingham, to conversations with James Rockwell, car rides with Craig, the sweet-sometimes silent- company of my sisters, loss of jobs, awesome sermons, dinners with Banks, financial uncertainty, the sound of baby chatter, trips to Frontier, time with Young Life kids and leaders, car trouble, the silly laughter of little girls, and sleepless nights, God is gracious. Through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, His mercy endures forever. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I will praise Him for He is worthy of praise. He does grant me peace. I know that His plan is there and I am trusting, though not perfectly, in Him.

I don't have patience and contentment because I haven't asked for them. I struggle on blooming where I am planted because I am so concerned with moving on to the next thing, that I disregard the possibility that God could be calling me to be still for the time being. My prayer is that I would grow in patience and contentment. I covet your prayers as God begins, or rather continues, to work on these areas of my life.

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

Psalms 116:1-2