Good days

ok. wowo. 1st of July=emotion. Great, joyful, POWERFUL emotion. I am soooo loved and soooo taken care of and God is just amazing. Tears. 1. Great sermon this morning about trusting in Jesus and His knowledge and following his waysand what he does and it just applies that I need to trust Him with my life. 2. An Invisible Children video was shown by my friend Laura who is super passionate about the movement and her passion is just moving in on its own. 3. Every little anxious thought/worry about NZ is being blown away and I have just this crazy realization on how much God loves me and the power He has and that He has a plan and I am His and wow life is gonna be ok with God.
=emotion. So I'm sitting in my car journaling this to be put on the blog(right now :) ) but God is good.

Fort Wilderness

Today is the start of my last week at Fort Wilderness( a Christian camp in the north woods), can I just say the past 2 weeks have been amazing and I'm sad to go home in a week. I started on June 12 counseling JV camp and I had amazing girls, then I went and counseled another week at Outpost (another part of the camp and a little more "rustic"), but it was a dream. Let me start off saying that I was blessed again with amazing girls to counsel. They all are so special in their own way and I hope I helped in their walk with Christ. Um, another thing, my co-counselor pretty much is one of the greatest, most down to earth people I have ever met! She is such an inspiration to my walk with Christ (and my artistic aspirations as well). All the other staff I worked with were so inspiring too. There's something about being surrounded by christians that are onfire for God... it started the spark back up in my own life. I'm alive!! and living in the love of Jesus Christ! During my quiet times I started reading the book of James, and memorizing different verses in it, which is really hard for me but SO beneficial! ...alright quick story: the NZ countdown is like super super soon and I'm having anxiety about it and just really needing God to just calm me down, you know? so I went to have my daily devotional time and my Bible opened (because I had put in some pictures in it randomly) to a verse in Psalms that I had highlighted before..."how long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on my and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, " I have overcome him, " and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."  Psalms 13:2-6. Alright basically I was just like what am I worried about? God knows all my fears and thoughts, he will answer and I can find hope and I have sooo much to be thankful for and I don't need to worry at all about my future because he holds it in his hands. Thats the story and thats what I've been dealing with lately, but God is good and his love endures forever. So I've got one more amazing week at Fort, and I'm just going to soak it all in! (then its home to pack, pack, pack, but I have a peace about it now :)  

Lazy Summer Days

Today is a lazy monday :) Here are some things that have been going on in my life... going to the lake with Emily, Shelly, and the girls (thats the picture), I just got the new Dave Matthews Band album, Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King, and also the Live Trax Album from Alpine Valley... they are AMAZING wow (few of my favs: Shake me like a Monkey, Out of my hands, Money, Alligator Pie, You might Die trying, and Louisiana Bayou). I've been keeping busy with staying fit and playing a little rugby, so thats good. Im also slowly but surely packing for New Zealand... scary for sure and just packing all my stuff into 2 suitcases, backpack, and a carryon...ummmm possible? i sure hope so. Im also getting ready to counsel junior highers up north then home for 2 weeks then Alaska in 39 days then New Zealand in 48 days. Start praying now for a safe flight and layover in LA. Alright I promise I will start writing more, but thats all I've got for now...

verse I need/am working on memorizing: Ephesians 5: 15-21

First year of college...COMPLETE

So summer has officially began for me today 1. because school is done and 2. because i found my first mosquito bite (whaaaat?). It has been a crazy year though, definitely lots of ups and downs. I'm home and thinking about now and the past and the future and it sure is scary. Scary because i am in a dry spot with God right now, scary how much God has changed me in the past and what He has done in my life and through me so far and scary because only He knows this crazy future He has in store for me and i have no idea what's going on. This summer is going to be jam packed with making memories with friends and families i can take to New Zealand and preparing my heart for NZ (volunteering at Fort, devos, and lots of heart-to-hearts of course). Another scary thing is going away from things that im comfortable with and feeling like im missing out while im away. But my first year of college is done. That is surreal to say and it went sooo fast. and i made a best friend while i was there and lets just say she is awesome!! (and im gonna miss her a ton, thats her in the picture with us studying of course) So first year of college...check...a year in NZ...here i come.

The last stretch...

The spring rugby season has started! And now my countdown for the end of the school year starts too...46 days. I don't think it could come any sooner. My days are filled with homework, drawing, lifting, eating, practice and much more. As each day goes by it gets harder and harder to stay motivated, procrastination, yipes! But looking forward to this summer is something to get excited about. Heres whats going on: Hopefully me and Steph can go on a roadtrip together because school gets done so early and we have all of may before summer really starts, then working at Fort Wilderness in the coffee shop from June 13-26, then family camp there for a week, then only 2ish weeks after that my family goes on a trip to Alaska and on the 26th of July I leave for NEW ZEALAND! (125 days from now :) ) bring it on, thats all I've got to say about that. I have one thing though that is saddening... the fact that the past 2 summers I have gone to the DMB concert at Alpine Valley, but this year I will already be gone. Maybe Dave will come to NZ? One can only hope. Lately life has been having its ups and downs, so keep me in your prayers, but God is here and in Him alone I find hope, strength, & life. Some encouragement to dwell on...
" When a person's steps follow the Lord's, God is pleased with his ways. If he stumbles he will not fall, because the Lord holds his hands" Psalm 37:23-24 (Message)

The rest of the verse

So I really thought I should add the rest of that verse because it rocks my world...
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," Jeremiah 29:12-14a

I thought it might be time for another entry, so today is all about simplicity. My focus on it is that even the littlest things should be appreciated and can totally make your day spectacular...some examples that have happened in my life recently: unexpected warm weather with a sprinkle of rain(brings a smile to my face as I write about it now), listening to pandora.com and having a song come on that is just your song, getting a beautiful bracelet in the mail from someone who loves you (the story behind that one is, it is from Shell and it is for NZ to remind me of her, stay strong, trust in God, and love...you can see the bracelet in the picture, its the cross one), getting mail in general, another simple thing is making facebook videos on peoples walls, participating in class, finding an old journal, and reading an inspiring Bible verse...there are many others of course, but those are a few that stick out to me right now. Oh and sparkling water, yum! Hmm I've been in somewhat of a slum lately but today, realizing how great my life is and taking into the consideration of the little things, slum is gone gone! lets see...what else...I know alot of people have me in their prayers so that is super reassuring, thank you everyone!! :) I'm at a blank now with anyother interesting info... so I will end with this:
"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11