Preparations

Do you ever feel fully prepared for something? Maybe your daughter is getting married and two days prior to the ceremony you feel ready. Or how about the day you start a new job and you get out the door with an hour to spare. Isn't it nice to be prepared? Today, I thought I was prepared and boy, was I wrong. 

For the last week, my two coworkers and I have been preparing for the next 5 weeks of camp. We have been working on how to run the cash register, how to sign people up for parasailing, how to buy meals, and much, much more. About last Wednesday, I felt ready. I felt as though we knew the details and we were ready for our first group of campers. 

Within 30 minutes of my shift, a lightbulb went off in my head, this shift is going to be crazy. When over 600 homeschooled campers show up at camp, all with their own set of questions, chaos sets in. Oh and did I mention when people have questions, they are directed to my two coworkers and I? Needless to say, I loved every minute. I thrive in chaos. But, by the end of our 7 hour shift, it had felt as though we had only been working for 1 hour. It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun. 

Already on Day 1 I have met two families that I know I am going to fall in love with. They are both families that have never been to camp before and I can't wait to see how much fun they have. God is doing some amazing things and it is only Day 1! 

Please keep my coworkers and myself in your prayers this week. Please pray that we not only have patience with the guests but with each other. I also ask that you pray that we all get enough rest. No matter how awesome our job is, we can't thrive if we don't get sleep. I also ask that you pray for the families that are here this week. Many of them come to camp every year and this is routine for them. Pray that they don't find themselves going through the motions. God is good even through the chaos. We may have been prepared but God had other plans! 

Anticipation

Have you ever waited a long time for something? For example, waiting 16 years to get your drivers license or waiting until you are 21 for your first drink. Tomorrow is a day I have been waiting for for over 3 years.

Three years ago I met a girl around my age in the staff dining room at Sandy Cove. We exchanged numbers so we could hang out the following day after we were both off work. The next day, I went to go meet up with her at her job. When I showed up, she was gone. She had appendicitis and had been rushed home. I left camp three days later without having ever hung out with her.

Between daily text messages, calls, and Skype sessions, we became best friends. I couldn't imagine my life with out her. She has been there through the tears and the laughter. She is always encouraging not discouraging.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." found in John 15:13.

I can honestly say I love her. I would take a bullet for her. She has made me a better person and I can't thank God enough for putting her in my life when He did. He put her in my life during a huge transitional stage in life. It is hard to imagine life without her. Hold your friends close, because you never know what God has in store for them or you. He could decide to move them 2,677 miles from you tomorrow.

The wait is over and I can honestly say I probably won't sleep tonight. I anticipate it will be a wonderful visit that neither of us will forget.

June 25th, 2014

Dear Minnesota Caffeine Queen,

Tomorrow you will drop off your Mom at the airport and say your final goodbye. Isaiah 40:31, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Remember that this isn't a time to be sad. No matter how far away you are, you are only a phone call away. You aren't alone in this. Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

The first night that you get sick will be the worst, (hopefully it isn't the first night). Just remember that when you get sick, you always feel better after. It isn't the most ideal situation, but God has his hand on you the whole time telling you that he is right there with you. Psalm 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

All those nights you can't sleep, will catch up with you. Just remember that you will be working and living with the most accepting people you know. They are there for support and will understand your circumstances. They are there to help you, not put you down.

I can't wait to see how much you grow over this Summer. You will experience new things with new people. Don't forget to open your Bible and pray continuously. You are not alone.

In Him,
Minnesota Caffeine Queen
Written May 20th, 2014
Published June 25th, 2014   
 

Here We Go!

Today was a big day. Today marks the second full day of work at Sandy Cove Ministries. (It really shouldn't be called work because I get paid to hang out with other Christians.)

As I met my coworkers for the first time, our manager decided that our verse for the summer would be John 3:30, "He must become greater; I must become less." This was exactly what I needed to hear.

Often times at camp, I find myself tired and only focusing on myself. This summer I want to strive to make God more. As my team focuses on John 3:30, I want to remind myself daily of Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

At the end of the day, no matter how tired or stressed I am, I need to make time for God and others. "He must become greater; I must become less."

Bad Hair Day

Once summer hits, I could honestly care less about how my hair looks. Humidity does nothing positive for hair. Often times it is either up in bun or down and curly. Part of life is accepting that you aren't perfect and neither are the people around you. For the most part, you can tell what kind of day I'm having by the way I look. If I am in yoga pants and my hair is crazy, it's probably been a really long day. If I'm in a dress and makeup, its probably going pretty well. Next time you see someone who looks like they just suffered from a case of the Mondays, instead of immediately judging them, pray for them and simply smile. It could make their day.

This Could be a Huge Mistake

Think about the biggest mistake you've ever made. Maybe you failed your Chemistry final two days before College graduation and now you have to go back to school for another whole semester.  Or prom night in High School, when you let things go a little too far with your date and you find out there is a baby on the way. It might even be an impulsive decision to take a job 3,000 miles away from home and once you get there, they decide not to hire you. Perhaps it is deciding to divorce your spouse of 20 years. 

Life is all about learning. When you are born, you don't automatically know the alphabet and how each letter sounds and how to spell. You have to learn. Part of learning is making mistakes. That is why on the end of each pencil, there is an eraser. That is there to help you fix your mistakes. One of the best pieces of advice I give kids is that its ok to make mistakes. When they try to pour their own milk on their cereal and the gallon is too heavy for them, you end up with flooded kitchen of milk. In those moments it is very easy to raise your voice or put blame on the child that did it. In times like this, we need to reassure the child and ourselves that mistakes are ok as long as we learn from them. 

If we learn from our mistakes, the mistakes we made will turn into lessons. Through life our lessons will turn into our story. Your story is something that no one else can write except for you and God. Your story is important and God isn't done writing your story yet. In the future there will be more mistakes and some of them will be bigger than others. 

In two days, I might be making the biggest mistake of my life. Moving 1,200 miles from home, without a job, and attending a school I've never visited might not be the smartest decision. If this turns into a mistake, it will be the greatest lesson ever. This mistake will be part of my story for the rest of my life. Turn your mistakes into lessons and let the lessons help you tell your story.

Life

Never have I been told by someone, "Life is so easy." For a two year old, life is easy but it isn't always going to be that way. Part of life is decisions. These decisions may just be what you are going to have for dinner or where you plan on getting gas after work. However some decisions are far from easy. The decision on where to go to college, what you will study, how you will pay for it and if you don't go to school, how do you plan on getting a job, where will you live? In life, we often hope that things are handed to us or that once we have a bachelors degree, finding and keeping a job until retirement will be a breeze.

Someone told me recently that once I get married, everything will be easier. I'm not married and I don't plan on getting married tomorrow but I know better than to believe that marriage will make life easier. My parents have been married over 25 years and they would say that marriage isn't always flowers and butterflies. Financially, mentally, and emotionally, it can get very exhausting.

However, I can only imagine how much children add onto the financial, mental, and emotional exhaustion in a marriage. Children aren't born fed, clothed, and educated.  In high school I often heard, "If we had a baby, we'd still be together." The only reason you would still be together is because babies aren't free. By the time a baby gets to be 18 it will cost about $100,000. I don't know about you but when I was a senior in high school, I will living off the change in my car.

Now I don't want this post to be degrading but lately I've been overestimating how easy life is. I think that I know how my next 5 years look and honestly it's all crap. Only God knows what the future holds and believe me, nobody will have an easy life.

Life is hard. As humans we need to accept this and move on.  We can't dwell on the past and let it haunt us today. We also need to be careful about how much we rub our life in other peoples faces. When you have something exciting happening in your life, make sure that you aren't seeking out a reason to talk about it. On the flip side, people also don't want to hear about how terrible your life has been all the time.  Negative people can be very hard to spend time with. I know that I have a friend who deals with a lot of medical problems and often times will look for sympathy. It's a part of our friendship that takes a lot of patience. Just remember that God knows what is going on in your life and there is a reason that he has those things occurring. Life is hard. The day you accept that and move on, you will feel better about yourself and your decisions.

Dr. Seuss

For a female, I'm not nearly as emotional as other females. It takes me either getting really mad to make me cry or someone close passing away. However, recently I have turned into an emotional wreck. I've started saying goodbyes and experiencing lasts with everything I do. Everything from hugging a friend from high school to just thinking about not seeing friends on a regular basis causes me to lose it. 

This past week has been a roller coaster full of emotions. One minute I am so excited to go and then the next minute I'm thinking about life without family and friends. It is rare that I find a quote that I like but when I came across a Dr. Seuss one, I had to stop and think about it. Dr. Seuss said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." I can't help but to smile about how blessed I am. I am thankful for the families that continue to open their homes from me and for letting me love their children. I am thankful for my close friends who put up with my crazy life. I am thankful for every second spent with family and friends. 

In the moments that tears start to stream down my face, my heart will be smiling. Life isn't over, it's just changing for a period of time. Please pray that these changes go smoothly and that I focus on the smiling rather than the crying. 

20 Seconds

I truly may never understand why God puts someone in your life to just take them away. My big move happens in less than two weeks and recently God has put some people in my life that I wish would just move with me. Lately all thats been running through my head is "Why am I even going?" However, if I don't go, I will never have known what it would have been like. This blog isn't for others purposes but for my own. If I don't move, I will never have known what it would have been like. 

When its 11pm and I'm crusing on a motorcycle gazing at the stars, I wonder why am I going? Then I remind myself that God's timing is perfect. There is a reason he put this amazing guy in my life. I may not know it right now, but I hope that someday it explains itself. 

In the movie We Bought a Zoo, Benjamin Mee says, "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." The day I leave for the East Coast, I hope to have that twenty seconds of courage that I did just the other night before the motorcycle ride. 

James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." I pray that in this situation, I find joy. I am already beyond thankful for the amazing people God has put in my life.