The Last Few Weeks.

Whoa! Life has been crazy busy, and it's only going to get busier in the coming weeks. I leave on Saturday, for a week in Dallas/Ft. Worth with my students. I'm so excited to go back to one of my favorite cities, to see some of my favorite people, and to spend time with my students as we serve the Lord in the DFW area. It's going to be HOT, but I'm praying that the Lord works in big ways, and that He would soften the hearts of my students.

A few weeks ago, I hopped on our church bus, with mostly boys, and a few brave ladies, and headed to Atlanta for a Braves game. It was a lot of fun, even though I got picked on relentlessly by my students. I love them! They make me laugh, and are always trying to keep me humble.

I told them I wanted to get on the big screen like some of the others in our groups, and well...

I can't blame them for not trying

Some of my students

Heidi, Danielle, me

Micah, Houston, and Jessica

Fun people to watch baseball with!

Most of our Crew at the game!

Then this past weekend, Mary, Rebecca, and I headed for Memphis for my roommate Bethany's wedding. The weekend started rough, with us getting super lost in backwoods Alabama... but it ended on a sweet note, with a beautiful wedding and good friends. On trip, I was serenaded by a strange man, who sang a lovely rendition of The Little Mermaid's "Part of that World." Did I mention he was super loud? The place was super packed with strangers staring at us, and he had no problems with touching my face, and making me hold his hands, and creeper staring at me while he sang. Uh, I was bright red for sure! We also stopped by Graceland to check out Elvis's crib. My friend Rob from camp lives in Memphis and was brave enough to spend the day with 3 crazy girls! Graceland was fun... but depressing. AND I was ticked that they didn't let us upstairs. 31 bucks to see a living room? What the hey diddle diddle?! Oh well, I suppose I understand, out of respect for the family, but still... I was bummed.

Tacky Tourist Mary

Pshtt.... Forget "dangerous," Elvis (especially military Elvis) was hot

Mary, Rebecca, and I in front of Graceland, posing in front a giant line

of people looking at us like we were losers.

They were just jealous we were brave enough to break out of line for the pic.

Then, we went to Bethany and Kyle's beautiful wedding.

Rebecca's Date

Because all awesome wedding receptions have a stuffed polar bear and a shrunken head

Duh!

A little over 24 hours later, we were making the 6 hour drive back to home sweet home Chattanooga because we all had to be at church Sunday morning. It was a great weekend!

Now, its VBS/getting my apartment ready for my new roommate Addie to move here/packing for DFW week!

Fuge 2011

So, after a week of camp, maybe the Lord knew what He was doing when it was decided that I wouldn't work camp this summer... I'm tired! I feel old! haha!

This past week, 29 of us, loaded up our church bus and headed to Union University for a week of Centrifuge. It was a wonderful week, and I'm excited to see how the Lord continues to work in the lives of those of us who attended camp. I was especially blessed by the friends from previous summers who are on Union's staff, and the ways they ministered to me. Chad (a fellow resident of Chattanooga) was our camp pastor, and he and I met waaay back in 2005, and then worked together in 2006. He's awesome, and he and his wife Hope are wonderful friends. Sara, Gina, and Zach and I worked together in 2008 out at Glorieta, and then Sarah and I worked together at Carson Newman last summer. Wonderful people!

Sara is the development director at Union, which is kind of like the 2nd in command. She's in charge of Bible studies, staff development, and customer service. She let me follow her around. I helped her out in the office a bit, and just laughed a lot with her. I even got to call churches coming to camp next week and remind them to turn in all their paperwork and answer questions they might have. It was funny. I accidentally told 1 youth pastor I was looking forward to meeting him next week! oops. Sara letting me tag along and hangout with her helped me feel a part of camp, when I was feeling pretty sad about not working. The staff probably thought I was a creeper chaperone, with how much time I spent in the office... they even let me tag along with them to eat late after Mega Relay. I loved that time with my friends though. I can't really begin to explain how refreshing it was to be with those people, and to meet new friends.

Sara, Zach, Gina, and me

Another Glorieta 2008 reunion

I LOVE the fact that in the past month, I've gotten to see so many people from that summer, and I love that no matter the time we've spent apart, because of Christ and what He brought us through in that summer together,

it's so easy to pick right up where we left off.

LOVE these people.

I cried a couple times, out of pure overwhelming sadness. I mean, it stinks not doing something that you really love. Fuge has had a huge impact in my life, and I'll always love it. I'm trying not to bemoan the fact that I don't get to work, and instead just be really thankful and excited I got to experience it with my kids. Oh gosh, my students are some hilarious people. It took awhile for them to open up, but the last few nights in church group devotions were precious to me. They shared what the Lord was doing in their lives, and my heart just overflowed with love for them. I had the opportunity to pray over many of them, and the Lord really worked in my heart during those moments.

The Lord worked on me during adult Bible study, and throughout worship this week too. One of the days was about relating to those who have hurt us. We talked about forgiveness in adult Bible study and holy crap... wasn't ready to deal with some feelings I had buried so deep, I didn't really even think I was struggling with anymore. Some of the conversations I had this week, definitely got my attention. Still processing some stuff...

It was a good week. Thankful for the time I got to spend with my students... and uh, I have some amazing adults that volunteer to love on our students. Couldn't have made it without them!

Jack, me, one of our chaperones (and a great friend) Lauren, and Haleigh

hanging out in the cafe before lunch one day.

With the adults out at rec, moments before one of the most awkward moments of my life

This initiative was always fun to watch my students do, but I definitely have a new perspective.

My wonderful friends on staff thought it would be hilarious to make me go up on stage the first morning to compete for "Group Leader of the Day" One of the guys next to me totally cheated. I was winning for most of that dumb game! I hurt my thumb, and found out that I stink at shooting rubber bands!

One of my newly graduated students, Danielle

So glad she was able to come to camp at the last minute

She, and our other roommate Katie definitely had a lot of laughs this week

They had fun picking on me, and making me feel awkward!

Love those girls, and I'm going to be so sad to see them go in the fall.

"And still He seeks the fellowship of His people and will send them both joy and sorrow to detach their hands from the things of this world and attach them to Himself’.” J.I. Packer

Lately...

Summer time is here... and I have the tan lines to prove it!

Things have been so busy the last couple weeks, busy but good. The band is off to camp, and are already a week into training. I'm grateful that I've been so busy at work because it's made all these changes a little bit easier. Last Friday, I was a hot mess. I was sad that the boys were gone. I was jealous of all my friends who had left for camp. I was super depressed that for the first time since college, I wasn't packing up Big Red and heading for camp, myself. I cried a lot last Friday. ha. I'm a wimp.

Monday, my friends Rebecca, Mary, and I hungout at Mary's aunt's pool for Memorial Day, and then I went to a cookout with Jared and Olivia and Olivia's family. It was a great day.. minus all the mosquito bites I got! I'm so grateful for the community the Lord has blessed me with here in Chattanooga. It is so sad that Seth, Alex, Steve, and Drew are gone for the summer, but the Lord didn't take away some of my favorites without taking care of me. I have a great group of friends here.

Mary, me, and Rebecca at the Drive-In before the boys left for camp

*It should be noted that Pirates 4 is super lame.

Alex and Steve

Steve and me

Love this kid!

This week at work, I've been busy getting my students ready to go to Fuge on Monday. I'm sad I don't get a whole summer, but so grateful I get at least one week of Fuge goodness, and that I get to experience it with some of my favorite teenagers. It's going to be an incredible week at Union University, and I'm hopeful that the Lord will do big things in the lives of my students.

My wonderful administrative assistant, Stephanie had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl last week

Nora Grace

I was so excited to go to the hospital and see Steph and hold this cute little girl

I've felt a little lost in the office this week without the Answer Queen,

but I'm so happy for my friends Matt and Stephanie

This past Wednesday, we had a water themed Summer Kickoff... which included water balloons, water guns, snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, pink lemonade, an inflatable slip and slide, and an inflatable waterslide. I was a little worried about the inflatables, but they were actually really fun. I think my students enjoyed the night. I definitely laughed a lot! Love those kids, and not working camp might be sad, but I'm looking forward to spending the summer with these people.

The slip n slide

I didn't try it out, for fear that I would bust my butt running up to it

Dont let this picture fool you, that joker was serious

Danielle, one of my newly graduated students, and I test it out.

We were a little scared.

Houston is that student that I know the Lord gave me

as payback to any and every youth worker/minister that ever had to deal with me as a teenager

Will, he's got cotton candy in one hand, and a water balloon in the other:

A middle schoolers dream come true

Alyssa, Kayla, me and Danielle

Some of my high school girls

Tonight, I've got a group of high school girls coming over for a sleepover. It should be fun. :) At some point, I'll have to pack for camp! We leave early Monday. Please pray for us!

I'm thinking about quitting Facebook for the summer, but I wonder if I might die. I'm just not sure I have the self control. If self control were something I'm gifted at, I would be skinny. I'm just sayin.