I AM crazy.  Universal and Islands of Adventure kicked my tail!! It was fun nonetheless and I would do it again.  Ben and Sam will soon be old enough to thoroughly enjoy a theme park adventure and I’m happy to say that their mom will be able to keep up with them.  We conquered all there was to do at these 2 parks.  The bands didn’t disappoint either.  It was great to see NTB perform in front of a mass crowd and the people screaming out lyrics with them.  These guys have tremendous talent and their hearts are in it for the right reasons.  All the students enjoyed themselves a weekend away from school…I’m hoping that they stayed awake at school today.  As for me…a 3 hour nap helped a bit…but I’m in need of another.

Some weeks are short and fly by.  Those being the ones when things are going great and you want to slow time down.  Others…as in this week….drag.  This happens probably because things just haven’t gone ‘according to plan’.  These aren’t my favorite of the 52 that we have been given.  Those weeks that the kids are amped on some magical dose of crazy, the weeks that you seem to run out of all the staples of the kitchen at once, the weeks that you say things you regret, the weeks that you loose your patients with earlier said kids, the weeks that you just want to put behind you.  But I, as I hope as you do, serve an amazing sovereign Creator, who creates all weeks and sends me messages in scripture form…even if it isn’t until Thursday of this very long week.  This morning I read from a devotional that I am blessed to be going through with a bright young lady.  The scripture for this week’s block of study:  Isaiah 55:8-9.  It goes like this:

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.

⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In the version from the Message it sounds like this:

“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

I am so glad His thought are higher than mine…and that His work surpasses the way mine does! It gives life and purpose to these long, dragging weeks…

getting ready to leave at 6 am tomorrow morning to put my almost 33 yr old self on some crazy roller coasters at Universals Island of Adventure…..what am i thinking??

Objects in motion are said to have a momentum.  Summertime for youth ministry brings momentum. Missions trips, Camps, Summerfest, Beach days.  These all bring students involvement to a new level of higher momentum.  As Youth Pastors we we like movement.  Keeps us young!  This summer has been the fastest moving of our 5 1/2 years!  So I’m feeling around 25 as I journal this…But I do journal for a reason other than to let everyone know how up and down ministry can be.  This “summer momentum” of 2010 is different than in previous years.  God’s hand is heavy on our students.  This momentum has permeated deep into their hearts.  They have started this school year and have received a second wind for the lost.  They have gotten bold about their faith.  It is more than their parent’s belief, it is theirs.  We are so proud to be a part of this momentum, giving all Glory to the Lord.  When we give the reigns to the One to whom they belong, things can soar to their purpose.  We saw this with our last event: The Awakening and the ONE BIG PARTY.  Our annual youth “back to school” recharge had so much spark!  We started preparation with a 2 week ministry wide fast expecting God to move.  Our speaker Jesse Watson brought amazing word for 3 nights that challenged and instilled boldness in our students and leaders, while worship band Ascend the Hill ushered us into the throne room in a tremendous way. All week the students canvased their neighborhoods, prayed for friends to invite, and some schools allowed us to do pizza drops to advertise for the ONE BIG PARTY finale.  This event was tailored to bring in many unchurched and to be able to share the gospel with those who wouldn’t normally come to a church setting.  I love how God showed up in this place.  I couldn’t stand still!  Worship went off and the presence of the Lord settled.  Over 600 students packed in to the Collision Center and at then end of a powerful salvation message around 55 students raised their hands for salvation and so many more seeds were planted!  Beyond our expectations to say the least! The night ended with an amazing DJ throwin’ down some beats (remember I said I feel young) and a talented dance crew keeping us entertained while we ate free Moe’s burritos, cotton candy, hot dogs, sno cones and climbed a rock climbing wall and had fun on an inflatable bungee course as a friendly jousting competition went on.   If that isn’t enough we had some ‘writers’ tagging a semi trailer for us on the side.  All in all a great night and in risk of losing all our amazing youth leaders-I would love to do this every week!! God moved mightily and I’m so blessed to serve a God who cares about this generation so much that he would use us to reach them!! Be proud of your youth Faith Assembly!  We have some true leaders in Kinetic!!

July is a crazy month…but a pivotal month.  It is full of great time with friends and family  for the holiday, and times in the sun and any body of water safe for the kids to swim in.  It is also time for Kinetic’s Summerfest.  So much fun every Wednesday night! July is also full of spiritual emphasis.  CAMP.  Jason is gone 50% of this month directing our district Junior and Senior High Youth Camps.  This time is looked forward to for so many reasons.  The students look forward to the time away with each other and they expect God to rock their worlds.  And as always, when expected, He does. We love this month and what it means for students.  I look forward to going for day/night to sleep on the floor of a cabin to hear some great things that God is doing in our young ladies lives.  And also to engage in a little friendly competition between cabins :).  So here’s to July…cherishing it now, because with all the business, it will be over before we know it!!

We are here. Safe and sound. We are currently driving the windig roads to S. Thomas, a 4 hour trip to our first destination. We will be staying in a hotel tonight-much more rustic than our normal hyatt place that we are used too. In fact I don’t know when I will be able to send this to actually show up on the world wide web. We pass houses that would not classify as sheds back home. The kids are running around, playing soccer, happy. Or sitting on their front porch that they share with cows and dogs. We just passed a little girl walking along this highway she can’t be any older than Ben and Sam. He students are excited for what tomorrow brings: our first medical clinic. I am excited as well. It is nostalgic for me to be here. With people who were last here with our dearest Tania. They share stories and I just can’t hear enough. Joyce and Bruce Ball are among these people. I can’t help but get emotional when I see Joyce. She was such a dear friend of Tania’s.

We hope to pull in to the hotel in an hour to get some planning and prep done and most importantly some sleep!

There is yellow stuff on EVERYTHING!!!  But I am not complaining.  With the dust of pollen comes spring.  I love spring.  I have great ideas of getting out and getting our yard in order and planting some attractive foliage and a veggie garden.  I like to think that I am a good gardner.  But like with everything that is beautiful, it takes a lot of hard work and patience to till, plant and sow.   Come to think of it, Spring brings tons of hard work: spring cleaning, yard work, dieting for summer… It is a season.  I love the change and look forward to the blooms.  Cookouts and great time with friends are right around the corner!!!

Seems like life is one big adventure lately. We think of adventure as being fun and filled with happiness. But truthfully with adventure comes some times of hurt and tragedy. So much has happened all around me this week alone. Dear friends loosing loved ones and even in our family times of sickness and question. But we must realize whose we are. We need to remember that our God is the victor. Just like David facing the giant who held a spear and javelin-we hold the stones. The stones that will in the end let all know that there is a God in heaven. He is a sovereign God of Love, Patience, Righteousness, Justice. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. Our adventure is when we can walk forward, enjoying the life that Christ has made possible for us. Living it out completely for HIM. Counting our blessings that He gives us. I took this week to really enjoy my blessings. Through only observing tragedy and disappointing events, I want to make sure to be joyful in the things that I have. My 3 beautiful children, my amazing husband, my home, my friends. Thank you Lord. Today we just got to sit outside and play with our kids. We took a walk around the pond and through the woods. (Ben is just like his mommy-very cautious and slow through the foliage and such- While Sam and Jack are crawling over mushroom and bug infested logs) I want to also make sure to be there for my hurting friends and acquaintances. It tells us in Galatians 6:2 that we should “carry each others burdens so to fulfill the law of Christ”. Being continually in prayer for them and doing whatever it takes to make their time in this lonely place of sorrow any bit easier it can be. What an adventure. I’m thankful to the Lord for being with me along the way.

AHHHH.  Girls Retreat 2010 has come to an end…I am relieved, but sad at the same time.  I had such a great time getting away with these girls.  They are all so precious.  Each different, but with the same purpose.  To glorify the Lord with their lives.  For the most part I think most understood this by the end of the weekend.  It was so great to see these beautiful vessels, lifting their hands in complete surrender, singing so loud no rock would dare speak out.  We had an adventure to say the least.  Painting our own teacups at Kiln Time in Mt. Pleasant.  Beast of a Red Rover game at the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mt. Pleasant (resulting in some clothesline action and a badly jammed finger-poor Debbie).  A texting scavenger hunt that took us around looking for Alice type clues-leading our team to the one and only historic court house-(which is on the corner of Broad and Meeting if anyone wants to know).  Kendall Bohman did a great job coming up with all the clues and landmarks.  Shopping on King.  Then a fabulous Tea Party where food was provided by lovely women from Faith’s women’s ministry (thank you Lena!!).  All together a great weekend.  If there are any girls who read this…I want to say:  Thank you girls for loving the Lord.   Just remember what he has set you apart to do. You are his Masterpiece, created anew in him, to do good work that was planned long ago.  Remember there is a time to wait, a time to listen and a time to obey.  Be peculiar!

As the rain falls from heaven i’m lost in your love

Your overwhelming jesus

And were walking together holding hands

Oh it’s just you and me jesus

Life is good here food is growing

On the beautiful branches

There is rest and there is peace

Inside the shade of your garden

Jesus your the only one for me

There’s no way i’m leaving you

Your the love the way the life the truth

Your the door i’m walking through

Angels are lifting songs of praise

Oh thier just singing your story

And nothing can take me away from this place

Lord i’m just lost in your glory

Your love is the reason that i am free

And i’m running to you ‘cause you’re all i need

Jesus your the only one for me

There’s no way i’m leaving you

Your the love the way the life the truth

Your the door i’m walking through

This is hands down my favorite time of year.  The air seems cleaner…thinner…crisp.  I know that we, being in South Carolina, don’t have so much of a “season change”, but this is enough for me!  #1: The temp drops just enough to welcome wrestling and games of catch with 3 boys in the front yard.  Picnics become enjoyable since the air is too thin for mosquitos to carry you and your loved ones away.  Laying in the grass is a great way to relax-looking up at the clear sky… then being tackled by a drooling laughing 18 month old…nothing much better than that.  The smell of a bonfire is one of my top favorites, so when the nights are cooler, I can sometimes convince Jason to build one.  #2: ( and really should be the #1 reason) Fall foods are my all time favorite which brings more insulation to the body for the little bit of cold weather we do get here. MMMM apples, pumpkin, turkeys, soups, I’m gaining just thinking about it all!  #3:  It is just simply gorgeous.  The trees turning all different shades of fall, the sunsets just take on a whole different color, and then there are the fall decorations leading us into the Christmas season.  I literally get goose bumps and butterflies. And as a extra happy note:  Target already has their Christmas lights/cards and garland out on display!!! YAY!