Something Beautiful

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'the righteous shall live by faith.'
Romans 1:16-17

I Commit

Sometimes I wish I had a pair of blinders
To cut down my point of view
Maybe then I could concentrate
Oh just living my life for You

I'm just a temple of flesh and blood
Who daily must decide
Whether to bow to the temple wall
Or to the spirit locked inside

Tonight I've got my heart
By the throat
I'm gonna stay here
Till my whole body knows

I commit my heart to the heavens
I stand to praise Your name
I commit my heart to the heavens
I am here to praise Your name

I say this simply with no regrets
I was born to testify
There's no shame in being Your servant
It's the highest call in life

Still I need to remind myself
That I'm happiest on my knees
When I am thanking You for who You are
And all You've done for me

Before these words burn a hole
On my tongue
I'm gonna praise You for all You've done

I commit my heart to the heavens
I stand here to praise Your name
I commit my heart to the heavens
I am here to praise Your name

~ Margaret Becker

Fall Camp Recap

The past couple of days have all meshed together into a sort of blur, but that's probably only because I spent most of my time in the blissful depths of unconsciousness.  Since the entirety of last week is also beginning to blend together, I think I shall do a recap in bullet points.  Bear with me:

• Saturday - the staff met up and became a new team motivated towards the same purpose, that of encouraging and requiring growth of our students in the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was a wonderful day spent meeting and getting to know one another, drinking coffee, and going through a mini training session.  Oh yeah, and singing with Sarah, Sedy, Cara, and Lauren at the top of our lungs to some awesome tunes as we spent ample time in the car!
• Sunday - my first time ever getting to practice what Worldview Academy calls "aggressive hospitality."  Over the summer I always worked registration, so it was really awesome to get my turn jumping, shouting, waving at, and just about scaring all the camp-goers and their families.  So much stinkin' fun!  :D  I also got to meet my small group for the first time and began to form a friendship with each of the girls I was entrusted with.

Favorite Small Group Memories:

• Playing a crazy game of "Egg-Chicken-Monster-Queen" on our first night together
• Going off the zip-line
• Our discussion on becoming bold for Christ
• The lengthy discussion we had on Thursday about various lectures/theological topics that gave them pause
• Listening to one of the girls sing show tunes every night before bed
• Star gazing!  If I could move to the country for one reason only, this would be it.  So beautiful!
• Telling a story by reaching a climax and then passing it on to the next girl in line (this was great fun)

Favorite Staff Memories:

• Having squat races
• Swimming when it was only about 60 degrees out
• Going to the Inn and drinking REAL coffee with Kristen and Michael
• Talking with Jarrett at length about college, work, and church ... and then going over discussion topics
• Laughing with Esther and Sedy late one night as we were getting ready for bed.  We were so sleep-deprived that we all ended up in a heap on the floor laughing till it hurt as we tried to decipher what the others were saying
• Lauren being Lauren ... I LOVE that lady!

Favorite All-Around Camp Memories:

• Staff vs. Student frisbee game!  Always a blast!
• Campfire.  During the first verse of the first song, the guitar stopped and the entire camp continued worshiping a capella.  It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!  I just sat back in awe as I listened to the testimonies of the students, remaining captivated in the amazing work of God
• Meeting the parents of the students.  This part of the week always slightly intimidates me as I wonder if I've helped their students truly have the best week of their lives.  But then I remember that the entire week is completely in God's hands anyway, so I just relax and enjoy conversing with the moms and dads who are eager to see what their sons and daughters have learned.  It's truly a blessing to me to be able to talk with them.

And that my friends, is a slight recap of my experience at Fall Camp.  I can't tell you how much the Lord blessed me by allowing me to, yet again, be a part of the amazing organization known as Worldview Academy.  I stand amazed again and again at the wonderful godly young men and women I have gotten to know over these past several months, and I am truly thankful for being allowed the opportunity to pour my heart and soul into the students.

Thank you, Jesus, for all that you do.  Amen.

Preparations

Excitement filled me as I held the phone tightly against my ear!  Sarah told me to call her as soon as I had a chance, and I figured it would be something about an alumni event.  I was sure surprised when, instead of plans for RENEW coming over the phone, I had an invitation to join the Worldview Academy staff once again for the Fall Camp!  I didn't see that coming!

I squealed, or did something equally girlish, as my mind hastened back to memories of the few weeks I spent staffing over the summer.  At the moment that the question was posed, I could only remember the godly men and women who I was able to get to know, and all the good times I had with my small groups.  I thought of all the excellent conversations I had with my students, and all the laughter.

As soon as I hit the "end call" button, the butterflies rushed in.  It was then that I remembered how great a responsibility it was to be on staff, and how much weight fell on my shoulders during the week.  I remembered the personal challenges I faced, and all of a sudden, my mood went from hunky dory to downright serious.  I went back to that first day of staff training and recalled the pit in my stomach telling me I wasn't ready for such a responsibility.  I remembered all the times that I could have done better, but felt something holding me back.

I talked it over with my mom.  It seemed to take a load off my mind by just talking over everything with her.  All of a sudden I had newer plans for small group times, better ideas for mealtimes, and wonderful inspirations for t-times.  I am now currently at work making plans for the week of Fall Camp.  I know that it looks perfect on paper, but I also know that what works on paper doesn't always translate into reality very smoothly, but at least I'm beginning to have something to shoot for.

I'm regaining my excitement for Worldview Academy!  It is going to be amazing to see how God works throughout the week.  If you think about it, please just pray that God's perfect plans would come to life, even if it tosses me out of my comfort zone.

Off to go do some more brainstorming!  :)