My Best Friend :)

My third sister is about to get married, and as with all new stages of life, things will change a little bit. :) But Candi will always be my best friend - even if we won't see each other quite as much as before! We talked about that this morning and agreed that we need to spend plenty of time together before the wedding, and plenty of time on the phone after. :)


Late nights, long talks,
Endless vows to take walks -
No follow through,
But I was with you;
I miss my best friend.

Long days, late drives,
Rare were good-byes
I left and returned
I finally learned
I missed my best friend

Time gone, so fast,
What was then has passed
We've grown up now
You're saying vows
I miss my best friend

Though wrong; I'm sad,
The days we had
Were always good
So misunderstood
I miss my best friend

The chapter ends,
The book is done;
The prince arrived,
The princess won;
This reader is still looking on,
Watching till the pair is gone.
A sigh, a pang, a breath of air,
The people slowly leave her there.
It's lovely, also bittersweet;
Alone, just fine, but she must think
Now that they are at the end
She misses her best friend.

My Last Night of 22

I love growing up. Life is so full and rich!

April's spilling,

Days are filling,

Summer's here,

But Spring's appeared

In all the flowers

Of the season

Which committed

Such a treason;

By sneaking in

Unforeseen...

So we'll explain

Why they are all here again - 

It's really quite appalling!

The day is tinting summer's flavor

With warmth that we long to savor.

Won't you be more than a guest?

Stay a little longer yet?

Thank you, but it's not to be;

The sun will work its ripening,

The blossoms fall, the fruit appear;

Just as it must this time of year.

You sow in trust, in faith you reap;

If God says "give," 'tis loss to keep.

Summer days so swiftly flown,

And still half summer yet to go!

So close to growing up I've been,

Still such a little child I am;

Sometimes in fear I give a smirk,

Pretending that the age that lurks

Just around the corner

Is something I can scorn!

But when I'm most honest with me

I do not even care to flee - 

Instead I'll take it in my stride,

Savor it with all my might -

And smile as I get older.

Yes, I'm watching me get older.

:)

Lovely Incapability

If you want to get to the meat of the blog, you can skip the life highlights, but for those of you who are interested....

Recent Life Highlights:

My dear friend Claire arrived on July 3. She did the last two weeks of camp with me and seemed to enjoy it pretty tremendously! The other staff and campers also enjoyed her (that was no surprise to me)!

My sister Candi is now engaged to Jordan! :)

Strawberries are in season. :)

I very likely have a place to move into in October!

I plan to take a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course in September. Still praying about money on that one! :)

Last week I counseled at camp. Counseling is not my strong point. I did it twice before in the ten summers I volunteered at camp. But honestly, I was never the counselor type. 

Due to the aforementioned, you may imagine that I was a bit apprehensive before counseling at camp last week. I had a talk with God beforehand and essentially put it all on Him. "Well, Lord, you know that this is not my strength. But I know that it is Your strength. These are Your children, and I believe You will teach them. So Lord, I look forward to seeing You at work as I make myself available to You. Thank You for what You will teach Your children."

The truth is that God gave me a lot of wisdom during the week. I had no real devotional plan outlined when I arrived at camp on Sunday night. But each devotion was planned, thought out, and understandable - even though for some I had about ten minutes of prep time. The girls in my cabin all seemed to grasp what we talked about each morning and evening, and their questions and answers were deep. There were no real issues in the cabin, but even in the small things, God gave me tremendous wisdom. I have always struggled to know when to be firm or strict, and when to laugh and not make a big deal of things. My typical pattern has been that I always do the wrong one. But this week I knew. Not because I suddenly figured out the perfect way to make a child obey, but simply because God gave me wisdom. It was a GOOD week.

I so appreciate the times when I know without doubt that I am inadequate and that running away is not an option. It creates opportunity to walk forward in complete reliance on Jesus to live His life. That is, of course, exactly how it OUGHT to be. We were never intended to live the Christian life. Rather, we are to know our inadequacy to live this life, and rest in the fullness of truth that Christ lives it perfectly as we trust Him to do so. It's a beautiful thing.

I look forward to the next time when I know without a doubt that I am inadequate. I hope it's tomorrow! Why? Because I love seeing Christianity lived by the only One capable of living it - by Christ Jesus Himself.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

Lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6