I am, You are, We are the Kingdom!

This past week I got the most incredible chance to be a counselor at camp with Granger Student Ministries at Spring Hill! And what an amazing time it was. There was a lot of freaking out on my part as we were heading up there and even the first couple of days. What if my campers don't like me? What if I don't get along well with my co-counselor? What if I get in the way of my girls walks with God instead of leading them in the right direction? Those were just a few of the questions that nearly overwhelmed me leading up to camp. Looking back I realize I didn't need to worry as none of them panned out. But it was harder than it should have been for me to trust that God put me there for a reason and He had a plan in all of it.

Once my girls got there on Monday morning everything changed. I wasn't really sure how to lead these girls or get them to trust me, but somehow it worked out. It's amazing to see how God takes your weaknesses and strengths and uses then for His glory. If there was something I had no idea how to do or what to say, He'd either give me the words or bring someone else, typically Brandon Ellsworth my co-counselor, to take the lead on it. Some of my girls knew eachother to begin with, but it was such an awesome experience to see how He knitted us together throughout the week. At the beginning it was a group of girls who were maybe a litttle anxious and unsure but excited to see what would happen through the week. By the end, we were a little family, brought together by the life and death of Jesus Christ, who loved eachother like I wouldn't have believed possible in a weeks time. God really can take our brokeness and use it for His glory. He can take the things we don't believe ourselves capable of and strengthen us so that it's clear, no one but Him could do it. I believe that happened again and again this past week, for me as much as anyone.

My Co-counselor this week was another of the many ways God showed Himself to me this week.

Brandon is one of the coolest people I know. He's an incredible man of God whom I learned to respect very highly as the week went on. Brandon lead worship at GSM for a good part of the last year, so I already knew him from that. But I had no idea how the week would go since we didn't by any means know eachother well. It was such a great experience though. He happens to be a very talented musician which helped since I kinda like music. Seriously though, It was an honor to serve with him and get to know him and I would not have changed it for the world. Where I was unsure of what to do, Brandon took the lead and he did it like a pro. It was a blessing to have him as a co-counselor and to learn from in the places I was unsure.

Our group was incredible too. I had no way of knowing how amazing it would be to see a group of people so different and unique come together over the course of a week. I can only pray that the relationships formed this week will continue to grow and that these beautiful creations of God will learn to love and walk through life as Christ did. They may not know how special they are but I pray they never forget that they are loved. God did huge things in the lives of so many this past week, I ask that you pray that whatever seeds were planted continue to be watered and grow so that they may be a Kingdom Catalyst to all who come across them. God Bless!

Life's Disappointments

It's easy as we go through each day, to allow the little things disappoint us. To be let down by the people we love or look up to, or the things we were counting on to make us happy, really isn't an easy thing to deal with. So many people live their lives searching, from one thing to another, looking for something that will finally satisfy them, that will fill that empty feeling inside of them, whether they acknowledge its existence or not. I, too, often find myself disappointed by little things, although they seem big at the time. It's such a struggle for me not let myself be pulled down by life's day to day disappointments. I've always been emotional, and it can be both a strength and a weakness, but too often I let myself be affected by the little things that don't necessarily matter. It's a good reminder for me, in those moments, to realize that those things should not be holding me up. It is not up to those things, or those people, to keep me satisfied. And I should not put them in a position where I depend on them.

Today, Good Friday, we pause in remembrance of a sacrifice so great it often brings tears to my eyes. God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, sent his only son, one who was Him, who was perfect, to become man and walk with us on Earth. And at only 33, he went willingly to His death on the cross, mocked and beaten like a criminal. He went to that cross for us, for you and me. My Jesus, died on that cross, for my sins. "It was my sins that held him there, until it was accomplished, but this i know with all my heart, His death has paid my ransom" ~How Deep The Father's Love For Us. Those lyrics say it all. How could we be anything but greatful for a love so unconditional that God would come to earth to live and die for me, a sinner? And how could we depend on anything else to hold us up? If we place our hope in anything of this world, we will be disappointed, time and time again. But if we place our hope in Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, who died so that we might live, we will NEVER be let down.

Today we thank you Father, for the sacrifice you made for each and every one of us. We place our hope and trust in your love, so deep that nothing we do, or don't do may pull us away from it. We thank you for the pain and disappointments we face here, that remind us that this is not where we belong. And we thank you for your peace through our pain.

The Power of the Mouth

The power to speak
and to sing
the power to laugh
and to cry
the power to lift up
and tear down
the power to love
and spew hate
the power to lead
and trip up
the power to forgive
and ignore
the power to believe
and to doubt

Oh the many powers of the mouth!


As you go through these next couple of days, look for ways to be intentional about bringing people up. It's amazing what a few words of encouragement can do to a person's day, and vice versa. We so often go through life assuming people know how much we love them. But it's incredible how much doubt can creep in when the words are not put out into the open. Don't hold in your words for fear of rejection, open up your heart and let the world know how much love flows through you, with the power of your words :)


Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing~ Proverbs 12:18

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger~ Proverbs 15:1

Confidence of a Child

In my experience, if you give just about any kid, under the age of about 10, a compliment, chances are they are gonna respond with an "I know" or something along those lines. As we grow up though, we tend to lose that. You tell a middle or high schooler and though they may say thank you, very few will believe it. What is it that makes us lose that confidence we had in ourselves at that young age? If someone is confident as they get older people often write it off as arrogance. But it's not arrogance. Everyone has the right to believe in themselves and not be looked down on for it. What if we all walked around really truly believing in our God-given abilities and not always doubting our level of competence. When we doubt our skills or our ability to do the things God made us for, we inadvertently doubt God and his decision to grant us that gift. No one intentionally looks down on themselves, but we live in this world that constantly beats us down and makes us feel like we're worth nothing. And that's where people begin to turn to relationships and drugs to find security and assurance that they're worth something. And it's an easy trap to fall into. Everyone gets lonely, everyone has those moments where it seems like there's no hope for them or their circumstance and it's easy to fall into that belief that we'll only be worth something if everyone else thinks so, and it becomes this constant battle to get to the top so that finally we can be worth something. But the whole thing is a lie. The truth is that God made us each to be special and beautiful. Each and every person was made for a reason and has a specific purpose for their life, whether they follow it or not. And our worth does not depend on other's opinions and feelings. "Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; You are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7) Our worth is dependent on God alone and He tells us we are worth the death of His son. So let us live like we believe it! We are worth much! We are wonderfully and beautifully made! We are LOVED unconditionally!!! In the coming days, try to live with the confidence of a child, with humility, YES! But confident humility in the knowledge that God made you in his image, and for his purpose, and he loves you enough to send his own son to die for you. You are a magnificent creature!

Prayer for a Friend

(Nashville Mission Trip 2010)

Everyone has that one person they look up to more than anyone in the world, someone they admire and to an extent model their lives after. For me that person is DC Curry. He is seriously the coolest guy i've ever met in my life time and I trust him like I do few others outside my family. When he first started doing youth ministry at GCC I remember looking over at him and his gorgeous wife, Brooke, and watching them during the service. I'll never forget the day he caught me looking, although I doubt he remembers, he just smiled and gave me a little "what's up" head nod. I was so embarrassed to be caught...but i just kept on watching. Since then he's become so much more to me than just someone i'd watch in church. He's become a friend, a trusted confidant, and a much-admired mentor. I still watch him. Not just in the church service though. Whenever he's around I find myself watching and taking notes, because the way he lives his life is just soooooo full of God. DC is an amazing speaker. Being the slow processor I am, it often takes me days to fully grasp whatever topic he may be speaking on at GSM (Granger Student Ministries) that weekend. Even if it's a topic that I've heard others speak on before, DC always brings something new to the table and it always applies to my life directly. The man is truly amazing. I'm so very blessed to have him in my life. It's such a humbling experience to be able to call him a friend. My friend. A lot of who I am today can be attributed to him and things he's spoken on for GSM or just to me when I've come to him with problems. And I know i'm not the only one who feels that way. He can't get from one side of GSM to the other without someone stopping him to talk! The man is loved like you wouldn't believe and he means the world to me and many others.

DC's dad has been in the hospital for the past week or so, and I ask that you pray for healing in him, and strength and comfort for DC and the rest of the family. This is a really difficult time for him, and he's given such strength to so many people, and now it's our time to be the strength for him. LET'S BE PRAYER WARRIORS FOR DC!!!!! :) love you all!

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer" ~Romans 12:12

The Ways of the Potter

I want to start off by saying that CAMP IS ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty flippin excited!!!! I'm on the Help Staff this year which means that I get to work alongside 6 other AMAZING people, including 2 of my best friends. We'll be tearing down and setting up and cleaning and all that other fun behind the scenes stuff. Don't take that as sarcasm, i LOVE cleaning and helping out where I can... as long as it's not my room :) so this week is gonna be FANTASTIC!!! i'm pretty pumped, to say the least.

I also wanted to share something i've been wrestling with the past couple days. I read this verse in Galatians the other day:

"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that i might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man" ~Galatians 1:15-16

The part that stuck out to me there is in the bold. I got to wondering whether God sets each of us aside at birth or if he just picks and chooses. And as i thought and wrestled with it I could not understand how God could choose someone to be great and leave others to be just average, or even less than average. I brought it up to a good friend of mine, Kelly, and she mentioned a verse in Romans, I don't remember specifically what it was, but it was something about how the potter has every right to make one pot more mighty purposes and another for general use. And it seemed soooo unfair to me. I know "Life isn't fair" and all... But God is. And as I kept going over it in my head I realized that we can't all be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there needs to be trash cans and water jugs and cups and all that other stuff too. Just because there's only one pot of gold doesn't make it any more special to the potter. Just think about where we'd all be if there weren't any trash cans in this world! it'd be a mess. And I realized that just because not everyone is set aside for fame or whatever the case may be doesn't mean that they're not set aside for a purpose. We all have our "calling" if you will. We all have a reason for being here. God set us on this Earth at this time in this place for a reason. And that reason, no matter what it is, is noble. It's important. And it's ours. God thinks we're precious, pot of gold and trash can alike. He looks at us with love-filled eyes and longs only to hold us in his arms and do what's best for us. He's our Daddy, and he's given us a reason to live. I don't know bout you, but i think that is a delightful think to understand. Thank you Daddy

My Brothers

Meet my brothers. Hunter(with the curly hair) is 13, and in 7th grade. Taylor's 9 and in 3rd grade. These guys are AWESOME!!!! I love my brothers soooo much. Anyone who's known me for longer than a couple days knows that from how much i talk about them. It's one of those things I just can't help. We have so much fun together and if someone were to ask me who i'm the most comfortable around, with out hesitation I would say my brothers. I've always been one to relate more with guys than with girls, and i credit that partly to my brothers. I join in on their immature little jokes and they don't judge me or expect me to be a certain way. It makes me really happy to think about how close we are. We have sooooo many inside jokes (most of them involving Pirates of the Carribean) and we all laugh at the same things that no one else understands. Today I had to write a final in English about acceptance and it hit me how easy it is to take that for granted. It's sooo easy for me to hang out with them and be...just plain stupid, because i know they won't ever stop loving me or judge me or look down on me (and not only because i'm taller!) I think they appreciate it that I hang out at their level rather than assuming I'm too good for them cuz i'm older. But honestly, I think i appreciate it more because (shhh don't tell) it's my level too! :) And with these guys around I can be as immature as I want and not have to worry bout what they think.

But it's not just the goofing off that I enjoy. I love knowing that they look up to me. And even when we're goofing around I know that I can still set an example that they'll follow. It's an awesome responsibility. Dangerous, maybe, but awesome. We all know I'm not percfect, and I love being able to go before them and give them advice and let them learn from my mistakes. I know they will have to learn some things the hard way, but I'm also greatful that through everything they may have to deal with I can be there for them and possibly be the one they lean on for strength to get them through it.

These boys are my favorite boys in the world and although I'd say differently if someone asked, they are my best friends and I love them dearly :)