summer'ing it up

Sigh.
This summer is drawing to a rapid close and new doors are about to burst wide open with no time for stopping and wondering.

Last week I was at Tamarack. It was so much more than anybody who had comments or opinions on it (negative and positive) said it would be. I needed to be there so very badly.

I needed time to delve into the Word of God hardcore again and be reminded of the greatness of His majesty, the perfection of His Kingdom, the wonder of His faithfulness, the unending supply of His love. "See how much I love you...", the abundance of His grace. I needed to be reminded to seek my treasures in heaven and not on this earth. (I may comment on this in more detail in a later post.) I was reminded of the beautiful and horrific reason for the cross. I was reminded that I need to love people with a neverending love that is as much like the love of Jesus for us as possible. To view people as God's creation, created equal in the sight of the LORD.

"God will never love me more, because He has never loved me less."

I was reminded I needed to surround myself with godly, encouraging friends that will spur me on to greater things. I suddenly realized that among all of my beautiful friends, I have a best friend that most people only hope and pray for. So I told her. It's such a blessing and I'm going to try to appreciate it all the more. We all need friends...but not just friends. One or two really good friends who will stand by us through anything. People that can be perfectly honest with us and we'll listen. They can point out places where we need to grow and we'll listen. Not just hear, listen. An interesting point was, the whole it's-important-you-have-a-best-friend things isn't just for girls. It's for guys as well. It's harder for guys because they're not as willing/comfortable to open up but apparently it's critical. I think so.

"God is the same in this moment as He was in the last few moments and He will be in the coming moments."

I can't even describe or type everything out here. There was just so much. I'm just so glad that I was convinced to go... (Thanks Ben...)

The rest of this long weekend my family and I went to the cottage with some of our best friends. Who would think that a family of 3 boys and a family of 2 girls would get along so well. Oh, I quite adore them. Hours of lying on the back of the boat in the sun, riding behind the boat on a tube, eating lots of food. watching movies, hanging out till late, getting a little too much sun, joking around, playing games and just relaxing. It was the perfect end to official summer.

This summer has been jam packed for me and I was away for 5 weeks of it.
1 week leading a group of 25 children for family camp at Braeside.
2 weeks in PEI with my family.
1 week at the camp love of my life Campfire! counseling 6 girls.
1 week at the second camp love of my life Tamarack being a camper again.
The weeks and days in between I worked in the same place I've worked for almost 3 years. Daycare. Every day is different from the one before...:P

I went to 3 beautiful weddings. Each totally individual and absolutely chalk-a-block full of God's perfection in action and abounding in love. There is one more yet to go next weekend and I believe it will be just as beautiful in its unique way.

I went places, did things, saw people, grew up, grew apart and grew together. I let go of some things and held on to others. I did my best and excersised the greatest wisdom possible. And I have a plan of sorts...

I wrote some more lyrics and music. I'm really excited about some of it. It's just my heart on paper....rather than on my sleeve. lol. Oh, I'm a crazy one.
But then, you already knew that.

For you dear reader, whoever you are....be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. I wish you the best as autumn and whatever new season of life this is settles upon us.

I'm off to grade 13. Yes. I am a crazy one.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:14 NIV)