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