The Adventure Called Life Day 256...returning home with full hearts...

returning home with full hearts

Happy Saturday everyone. Well Spring Team 2 has made it through their first week of camp! Praise the Lord! None of us got extremely hurt, sick (at least for very long) and we have some awesome testimonies about what the Lord has done and is doing in the lives of the campers, staff and our own. I have been extremely blessed by the support of the staff, coming down with strep throat has really taught me to ask for help, don’t be ashamed of leaning on others for support. That’s what I would like to do for others, why wouldn’t I do that in return? 

We are on the road, before 10am, and Its amazing to me that we are going to drive seven hours today. We did it last saturday, and it wasn’t bad, then again I was asleep for most of it. I am looking forward to this time around where I will be awake. There is also a bonus, I do get to go see Zachariah tonight! :) super excited for that, but I am also excited to hear stories about this first camp, how it has impacted our newbies and how the veterans are being encouraged by such a blessed week! 

For some reason, the first camp of the summer is always special. Last summer it was the same, the people, the campers, the experience is just special. I think it might be our attitude, how we are so intentional about not having expectations when we go into this first camp. I wonder how we can keep that, the lack of expectation, except the expectation that God will show up.

Lord,

I pray that you will keep our attitude aligned with yours. Help us to always aim to serve and not be served, to love and understand rather than be understood. I am so thankful and I praise you for this week at Durley. What a blessing it has been to be used by you! I pray for the staff that you would refresh them and revive them so they can continue to serve you. I thank you for the campers and ask that you continue to bless them and keep them close to you Father. Thank you. I love you.

In Jesus’ name

Amen

We return to Spring Arbor today, then tomorrow we go to Clarkston to play for and begin our relationship with the youth group. Later this summer we are going on a mission trip with them to Indianapolis, Indiana. Pray that we would be empty of ourselves, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of gentleness, love and grace. Amen! 

cm

The Adventure Called Life Day 255...parachutes, campus adventure, and silly cup games...

Today has been glorious in Greenville. First I hung out with the Preschoolers and made sandcastles on the volleyball court. Then we played parachute games for the family activity. I really love watching the little kids laugh and play. It blesses my heart to see them use their imaginations and have fun...

I am out with Rachel, Liz and Stephanie at yet another coffee shop, but first we visited Greenville and walked around campus, I really love coffee shops. I don't think I'll get anything to drink today, maybe a vitamin water for the road :) but I think that shall be a great idea...

When we return to camp I'm heading to the waterfront to hang out and help Sarah with the canoes and paddle boats. LIfe is great. We're playing music for Jesus, serving Jesus and kids during the day and doing it all the time. I love it. Praise the Lord for such an opportunity like this!

oh, at lunch today I played "the cup game." Its something I haven't played since grade school. I learned that game in the fifth grade! That is eleven years ago! I was ten! now i'm 21! its crazy!! but I love it! I was so happy that I had that skill to play with the girls and learn the song that went along with it because I already new the game...awesome stuff!

Lord,
continue to strengthen us as we continue on this journey. I thank and praise you for all the provisions you have given us along the way. I love you!
in Jesus Name,
Amen

cm

ps....I hope to post a couple of posts about the sermon series Pastor Sloan has done this week at camp, He has had some great points that I would love to share with you guys!! later...

The Adventure Called Life Day 253...sickness...

please pray for Eric, our fantabulous drummer, he is not feeling well. Some of the guys are not feeling well either. We're going to get to the bottom of this. Luke came to preschool small group swigging a bottle of airborne tablet water. His funny faces were priceless. I think Abby really enjoyed it :)

Today the preschoolers finger painted. wow. that took me back. I felt like I was six again. It was beautiful. I finger painted too, Katie insisted that I did, honest, I just didn't want to do it, okay, yes i did :) anyway, after finger painting we went to the moon. I know right? Zachariah told me via text that if more small groups were that interesting then maybe we would have more people interested in discipleship. He's probably right. that now goes on my prayer list. God, use me to make discipleship as interesting as an imaginative trip to the moon for adults.

so keep us in your prayers, we're doing well. its wednesday and we're still going strong. Praise the Lord!

cm

The Adventure Called Life Day 254...coffee, girl talk, and vision...

im sitting in a coffee shop on the campus of Greenville, College. Rachel, a wonderful fellow worker at the camp took us ladies out for coffee and some time away from the camp. It was fun, we looked at engagement photographs on facebook, which of course made me think of my Zachariah :) I miss him so much! I know that this is where God has me for right now. Zachariah is still with me, every once and a while I will get reminded of him by something someone says, or a song I hear. Also there are times I find myself turning to one side, excited about something and wanting to tell him, as if I expect him to be right beside me. *sigh* some day soon right? oh yes.

For now, I am enjoying being on my own, surrounded by these awesome teammates of mine, doing the Lord's work. To think I get paid to travel to different places, show up to a camp, unpack our music stuff, say, "hello, we are your worship band for the week, anything else you would like us to do?" such a blessing! To be completely available to the camp like that just blesses my soul immensely. I'm convinced that we are designed for service like this, or at least I am. This is what truly gives life to my very being. Being used by the Lord to bless and love his people is the greatest thing I could ever do. To think I get paid to do this "job" just blows my mind all the time! How blessed I am Lord, thank you, let me not take this for granted. I love you! amen.

Eric is feeling much better. I think he might be back to normal. The other guys are well too. I am thankful for health. I am almost back to normal, Praise the Lord! Such a blessing! I lead, "Holding Nothing Back," by Jesus Culture. That song is tough, I challenges me vocally at every turn. I try not to beat myself up over it. By the end of the summer I am going to be a pro at that song :) Oh, and I also lead "Happy Day." I love that song, the hand motions are fun, even the adults were doing them! Oh how much I love to involve the adults that way, it makes my heart smile...

the vision I got today while sitting in the coffee shop was a possibility, a question, if you will. Is it possible for Christians today to internalize the joy, the sorrow, the pain, the mystery, of the stories of the Bible? For example, do we truly live like we believe that Christ is actually ALIVE? Shouldn't that makes us SHOUT FOR JOY? I would think so. Does this mean we need to actually have the Holy Spirit dwell within us, is that the root of the problem? I'm thinking that might be it. If we truly live with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, then our strength is no longer sufficient, His is, our love is no longer sufficient, His is, our grace is no longer sufficient, His is. This is what it means to truly live...

well there's the start of another vision...thanks Lord...

cm

The Adventure Called Life Day 252...raindrops, freeze tag and silly songs

It looks like it might rain any minute here at Durley Family Camp. That makes me a little sad since I was going to try to participate in this afternoon’s activity. As long as it doesn’t rain I definitely will tomorrow! I love playing games with the kids and the families, its a lot of fun! 

I am working with Jamie Ward, and fellow team member Luke Paul, for the Preschooler’s daily class. Jamie is the staff person, and Luke and I are just helpers. The kids are so cute. Abby and Mylee both are pretty shy, but Mylee has started to talk some. Abby still just stares at you with those big blue eyes and just smiles her “I know you want me to talk, but I’m not gonna!” smile. precious, frustrating, but oh so precious. Today before we had our “lesson” we played freeze tag. Ivan is very fast, but Joshua really likes to run and he is super fast! I can tell he likes to play sports. Ivan has just been recently adopted from Russia! I’m not sure if he is used to always playing games like tag, but I would think they play tag in Russia? I don’t know...anyway, I ran around, not too fast so the little guys could catch me, but boy it felt to run and do something! 

Today at lunch I sat with the table of middle school girls again. They taught me some silly songs. I love silly songs. I especially love the Princess Pat. Also the Banana song is good too. I may have to teach them the Weenie man song. Its funny :) or the Jesus in a White box song. that one makes me laugh :) well, looks like it is actually raining, no ultimate frisbee this afternoon, looking forward to the water front, hope it clears up in a little bit so the kids can enjoy the lake! 

cm

The Adventure Called Life Day 251...sweet saxaphone guy...

Tonight as a Well Spring team we had the immense privilege to play with a phenomenal professional musician named Bill. He is affectionately known to Jake, Liz and Marc as “sweet saxophone guy.” Let me tell you, he lives up to his name. Great player, great skill, but his heart is so big. I loved it. 

Previously this afternoon I had a break down. Its to be expected. I’ve been getting better, and all of a sudden I feel like I did Friday night and Saturday. In fact I felt the worst I’ve felt this whole time. Spiritually I didn’t feel that low, singing with the band has helped. I don’t want to say, “Oh this is an attack,” but I sure feels that way. I have never been barred this much from ministry in my life. I am only 20, soon to be 21 years old, and I just have felt so beaten down. Tonight, worshipping, leaving all that I am before God really helped me connect with him again. I pray that my authentic offerings of worship help others enter in to the throne room of God. I pray that the members of the congregation are encouraged to surrender to God, to offer up themselves as living sacrifices because he alone is worthy!

We continue this week now with Liz! She has returned to us from Michigan where she was at home with her sister for her graduation. Such an exciting thing! I am missing my brother’s graduation and his party while we are at this camp :( But I am super proud of him and how he is choosing to live his life for Christ and not himself. Its such a blessing to have a brother who is pursuing Christ! 

cm

The Adventure Called Life Day 250...panic attack, mud, and softball bats...

its another beautiful day here at Greenville Family Camp. I keep calling it that just to remind you that we are currently in southern Illinois. The camp is actually called Durley Family Camp. I woke up this morning and after fumbling through a shower, a getting myself to breakfast I broke down and didn’t try to sing at all. I could barely open my mouth far enough to enunciate properly. Its like that awful sore feeling you wake up to after working out really hard the day before. Your muscles are tight and swollen, well that was my throat this morning. 

Instead of going to rehearsal I went back to the cabin to lay down. I also opted out of small group time to give myself more rest before service at 10:30 am. So from 8:30ish until 10 I took a nap. I woke up, feeling slightly sore, but so much better than before. I went to service, didn’t sing, but the girls that Marrissa and I have been hanging out with saved me a seat :) It was precious. After service we at lunch with them again.

I love softball, and the camp held an all camp softball game today. I didn’t go change into tennis shoes and bum a glove off of someone, I just went back to cabin, slathered on some sunscreen and went out to enjoy watching. Jake and Luke are very athletic, and Jake seems to really enjoy playing. Its cool to see him connect with the kids that way. Emily, a girl at the camp here is going into eighth grade. I sort of see some of myself in her, like her personality is very mature and she doesn’t have a big tolerance for goofiness of silliness. I have changed since eighth grade, praise the Lord, but I still can identify with her. She has a fantastic arm, and she has a great bat. I cheered for people I knew and people I didn’t. I made sure not to yell too loud :) 

I have been talking to a couple of the FOUR doctors here at camp, and they have cleared me for singing if the swelling stays minimal like it is right now. I’m supposed to tell Jake a dinner (in a couple of minutes) what my final call is. I sure hope my throat stays that this, I doesn’t hurt to swallow that much anymore :) Praise the Lord! 

cm