Summer 2009~~What a RIDE!

I asked God if he would please if all possible not allow me to have a boring, time wasted, spending every free moment at work summer.WOW did he ever supply me with an amazing summer.

First I would just like to say that at the beginning of the summer I was somewhat struggling with being settled with what my life was. I was a 27 year old Christian, teacher, daughter, sister, etc. and I was saying to God, " Seriously this is BORING! God there has got to be more to this life you have given to me. Please show me more because this is a bore!!!" Then I just happened to go to the local Bible book story with my mom, and I picked up the book titled " Who Has Your Heart?" by Emily E. Ryan. I have always struggled with singleness off and on since college, read books on living life single for Jesus. But this book was different. It took the story of Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11: 30-40) a story of a heroine that is so easily overlooked. It was through her story that I saw how caught up I was in the world's view of what I was to be doing and what God's view is. It refocused me on his work, his life, and his guidance. The world lets me down but my God will never let me down. It was through this study that I began to really see what was right in front of me. It prepared me for the summer I would soon experience.

June was full of Summer School (4th grade Science yuck!), Mission Arlington, Sports Camp, and Concession Stand. I don't like Science, why you ask? Because for the most part it has everything and any thing to do with numbers. And math is not my friend either. However, I co-taught with another teacher that LOVES it so I was like okay, I show up, do cool experiments and go home, good enough for me!! So I eventually liked it a little bit.

The second week of Summer School I had the privilege to serve God at Mission Arlington. I went with a group of 40 consisting of my church's youth group and adult sponsors. I had always heard about the Mission while I was in college so I jumped on the chance to go. It was all a God thing because I signed up to go not knowing if I would have the money to go or if I could find a substitute. So it was all in God's hands, so four days before we were to leave God said Go and I went. Within five minutes of being there I was asked to pick up donations. I was like WHAT GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS! You know how I am with directions, then he supplied to awesome youth navigators!!! It was fun and we all three learned the streets of Arlington on that day. The days following we were in different groups within our groups. Relationships grew and God grew in us. While I was there God lead me to the book of Psalms and he has been changing me everyday with it's wisdom and strength. He had me start in Psalm 69- which tells me that I am to be all I can be as an example of who Christ is and was so that others will not be turned off by the way I am. But drawn by who I am in him.

The next week was Summer School by day and Sports Camp by night. I really enjoyed the three hour naps that I had to have that week. They were a physical and mental necessity to function. I got to get HOT and SWEATY for the Lord. The temperature hit 90-100 every night, but it was all in the Lord's name. I got to spend some time with the kiddos of the community and it was fun. The first night they were surprised to see that I actually didn't live a the school. I was at the basketball spot so I got to play with kids that I taught and it was so God. Because they got to see the human side of me and not the teacher side. It also let me see that although I was called weird this past year, I don't need to be like crazy kid weird, but weird in that my students should see less of me and more of Christ. Which seems to be the theme of my summer. Because although I show it from time to time I need to show it all the time.
Well I had to miss out on the last day of Sports Camp, which was Water Day, (yeah the best day I know), to work the Concession Stand at the Boy's Baseball Fields. I had volunteered with my church at the end of May and loved it so I told the manager to call me if she ever needed help. So the last week of June there was an All-Star Tournament for the 9-10 year olds. Yes, the age group of my students. I like working the concession stand because it gives me a chance to see people in everyday life. Not at work or a school, but as they really are. And when they see me in the same way it seems to open up a line of communication and gradually a relationship. What I see as a way to share the gospel in a relational way. I love the smiles on the kids face when they get that Pickle Pop or the mom who is sweating bullets and ask for water for her son whose playing. Oh, and I got ask to work the High school football games this year, and I said yes and boy I can't wait!!!! It has shown that once again, less of me and more of God. June was AWESOME, thank you God. He supplied!

Then there was July, which was also busy, but it was welcomed and short! Junior College, Camp, and beautiful wedding.

I had a few days to recuperate from June then it was time for some more adventures with God. I spent one day at the Junior College that I attended. Helping my aunt and two cousins prepare for their journey of college. It was a long day but it was extremely productive. I told all three of them that next year will be sooooo much easier and less stressful.

Then the other four days of that week was spent praying and waiting on God's answer to see if I was to be an adult sponsor for camp. His answer was yes, even though it was last minute and I had to get ready within four days to be gone for seven days it was good. If I had know I as going ahead of time I don't think I would appreciate God's timing and lesson in patience. So we left for Florida at 5am on Sunday arrived at a church in Florida spent the night and drove the rest of the way into Daytona on Monday. There were many attempts from the Enemy to stop us from going, being, and returning from camp. But God prevailed and he unified us in away that wouldn't have happened if we wouldn't have experienced all of the vehicle issues that we had to deal with. While at camp....................................................... God's presence was EVERYWHERE!!! It is any day and everywhere but for the most of the group it was a non ceasing presence that we experienced for the first time. I have felt it myself over the years, but now Psalm 105:4 is an ever present in my life. " seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. (ESV) I experienced worship like I never have before and I will never go back to the old way of which I was. My posture of which I used to have I realized was more worship than I thought it was, so with the old I have seen that God raises me up and added in some new. And it is AWESOME!!!! Once again he showed me how to be less of who the world wants and more of what he wants and intends for me to be for him. The camp theme was FLIP, and boy did he flip us all over the place!!!

Then there was this past weekend. I had the honor and privilege to be a bridesmaid in my college roommate\friends wedding. I was so excited for her and I still am. I got to meet the groom for the first time on Friday and knew from the first meeting as many had said they were meant for each other. They meet on a blind date, dated for 6 months, and on their 6 month anniversary he proposed. It was fun to be with her and a few other college friends. The Maid of Honor and myself spent alot of time in the car and on our GPS' however I was very proud of myself. Because as we were there we got to reminisce about our college years, which was only 4 years ago. And it was so cool to look back at all we had been through together and with God. Because our friendships were all God's doing, no way would us three ever crossed paths if he hadn't intervened. It was cool to see her life and his intertwine. With that God gave me hope. Because I have from time to time thought about being single for life, it's not like Jesus didn't think it was okay. I am not saying that I believe I am called to surrender myself to celibacy, what I found at wedding of all things was peace. Yeah PEACE!!! Crazy I know but it happened for me. I thought about the bride's journey and how it was somewhat parallel to my own. And it was then that I realized that I usually would be all depressed and loathing in self-pity. However, this summer God flipped me. It started with a trip to the book store and now it is coming to a slow end of FLIPPING everything I knew, did, and felt to become more of him and less of me. I was not looking forward to being a single bridesmaid at 27 years old. It obviously brings up alot of self doubt, worry, and insecurity for a women. However, God knows me so well that he had to provide me ways to see that the world that I was living in that thinks I am a weirdo for not having any kind of relationship with a man, that world is wrong. His way is\was showing me that my focus is not to be on the future but on the HERE AND NOW. Which is funny! Because at the end of May when I bought that book, I had just finished the weekend at a Disciple Now. The message for the weekend was living in the Here and Now and letting the Holy Spirit work within you. The Holy Spirit is working in me like I have never experienced before. So I will wait as patiently as I can on the one that God has for me no matter how long it takes. But if it is celibacy is what he calls me to, which is scarey, I will because this will mean that I will be focused on his purpose and not mine!!

It is only right to praise and thank God for his plans that have flipped and changed my life forever!!!

"God your are all knowing. I went into this summer desperate not to spend time watching hours of mindless TV. And you provided over and above what I could have every imagined. THANK YOU! I don't question this summer because as innocent as my prayer seemed to me I know that when I spoke it to you, you were smiling and thinking to yourself, I have a plan for you. Which I can not and would not take any moment of this summer back and change any of it. Even the so called bad parts. Because it is in those times that you said we are to rejoice. I love it, I love you and I just love how you know everything before we do. God do not let me forget one tiny second of what happened this summer because I do not want it to return void. You have a plan even past this, so use me and guide me in your ways because they are better and higher than mine could ever be.
I love you Lord, and it is in Jesus Name I pray Amen!!!"