7...a (picture)-perfect "ending."

i've always heard that the number seven was significant in Scripture & represented some sense of spiritual perfection. i laughed when i realized that not only did july 25, 2011 mark the end of my seventh consecutive summer of camp ministry...but that last summer i served students for seven incredible weeks.
i don't believe in coincidences.

i'm overwhelmed when i look back over these last seven years...the lessons i've learned & how the Lord has stretched & grown me. here's just a few of them...

2005 @ camp la vida:
The Lord began a long process of challenging a quiet, introverted & unsure individual to be a leader...to leave all that she knew (friends, school, dreams for the future [music teacher]) for the sake of this God she'd heard about all her life.

The Lord challenged & used that same young girl to lead in ways she'd never imagined...
I thought I was going to throw up the first time I...
a) welcomed a camper into my cabin - realizing I had absolutely no idea what I was doing
b) sat my girls down for the first day of Bible study
c) led my first day of recreation & ended up taking the kids to the wrong place entirely (heather smith & joy wilson...you remember!!)
d) had to comfort a homesick camper...having no clue what to say because I, too, was anxious about my surroundings
e) was asked to be in a skit...on stage...in front of people
f) was asked to lead the staff in a few songs with the guitar...something I'd NEVER done for anyone publicly.

The Lord began opening my eyes to a world that was bigger than the one I'd known & grown comfortable in for far too long.
(my apologies...i didn't have facebook until late 2005...so i didn't have any pics!!!!)

2006 @ camp la vida:
When the Lord gives you a vision to do something & the passion to make it happen, you have no excuse but to carry it out as best you can. "To give anything less than your absolute best is to sacrifice the gift."


He challenged me to begin writing week-long dramas & camp-wide activities to enhance the Bible study experience.

He also opened the door for me to serve at a camp later that year in the Himalayan mountains of India.

2007 @ camp la vida:



The Lord continued stretching me in ways I'd never imagined...more skit & recreational activity writing, video editing, & worship leadership...all so far outside of my comfort zone it wasn't even remotely funny.

2008 @ camp la vida:
The greatest leaders are those who first learn how to follow.



Pride goes before a fall...& the Lord uses sinners to complete His work, of whom I am the worst. (Prov. 16:18 & I Tim. 1:15)

I'd MUCH rather serve & be with students than be in a place of authority & leadership.

2009 @ camp la vida:

2009 was the most difficult summer, by far...the Lord opened a door for me to serve half the summer at La Vida & then work a week-long camp in Wasilla, Alaska. When I returned to La Vida He very clearly said it was time to go. Sometimes the calling to leave a place of ministry is just as firm & obvious as the call to it.

Again, following the Lord's will means sacrificing my own plans & dreams. Even if I think my plan is good & gospel-centered, if it's not HIS plan, its's not right.

Stepping out in blind faith never gets easier.










2010 @ FUGE in PCB:

The Lord very clearly affirmed His calling to leave La Vida as early as training week! That entire summer was one of healing - & I spent EVERY spare moment sitting at the ocean taking in His bigness...His providence...His sovereignty...

No matter how much you've grown & learned, there are always those who can teach you more than you'd ever imagined. We always have room to grow.


Real worship is uncontrollable.

When the Lord draws together a team of individuals with like-minds truly seeking to serve, honor & glorify Him, nothing is impossible.




The Body of Christ truly is a family.

The Lord opened another door for me to serve for a few weeks in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa...where He continued to press on my heart the idea that the US is not my home.















2011 @ FUGE in PCB:

"Don't give up!" + "We are a team!! <--> We are a family!!" = they're not just words...when lived out, they mean something. No matter what life throws at you, we as believers are CONNECTED for a reason.

Ryan. Dylan. Hannah. Joseph. Taylor. Jeremy. Garrett. Jenna...just a few students close to my heart. You are loved beyond measure & were created with the highest of purposes. Remember you are connected to a family...&, more importantly, a Father who will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

It's never about recognition.



Love selflessly - expecting absolutely nothing in return...& in the end, you'll receive the greatest of blessings...JOY.



Prayer changes things...first & foremost - ME.

I was able to serve for 2.5 weeks in Sub-Saharan Africa with 25+ FUGE staffers. All summer, I got to share about what the Lord's doing there...and how students could connect with that ministry. What an incredible opportunity.



Genuinely beg God to do huge things...and He will. Plead on your face before Him & He'll open your eyes to massive open doors. The Lord has called me to Cape Town, South Africa for a few years all because of the CONNECTIONS over the last seven years. It's all in His perfect timing.

Like I said...






















...I don't believe in coincidences.

so here's to new beginnings & whatever the next seven years may hold.