My Bad...

I am not good at this.  Keeping up with my blog.  Even so I'd still like to share a bit about these past 2.5 weeks!

Week 2:
I was in Mankato with three lovely ladies.  Mankato is beautiful if you've never been.  The southern part of Minnesota has many hills and is very nice to drive through!  The church we were at served many kids from the church, but they also served a number of kids who live in apartments right by their building.  These kids don't have as much money and usually they walked to day camps.  It was a crazy week at day camps, but it was also really fun.  I enjoyed getting to know these kids, and as crazy as it was, it was still so good!  There were many kids that I could tell really grew from day camps and had so much fun.  Our host families were awesome too.  I love staying with families that have kids.  It was a joy to just hang out with their kids and get to know their family.

Week 3:
I was in Iowa again.  This time I had the opportunity to go back to Coraville where I was last summer.  We stayed with the same family as last year, and it was so nice to connect with them again.  I have become quite attached to Iowa - especially Iowa City & Coraville.  There are many aspects about the area that I love and there is so much to be "done" for the kingdom of God there.  I don't know what my next few years look like, but if living in Iowa is a part of that I would be down.  It was a treat to see many of the same kids from last year at day camps and continue to build relationships with them.  It was so cool to see the impact we made last year and how that carried over to this year.  I also had many moments of joy with these kids.  It was so fun to play games with them and be silly.  The best part is that I knew I was brightening their day, just be hanging out with them!  I also had the awesome opportunity to play in a random drum circle in downtown Iowa City on our night out!  It was such an amazing experience.  To conclude Iowa was amazing!

Week 4:
This has been my best week yet I believe.  I am in Forest Lake with another coordinator and two counselors.  Most of our campers have been exposed to the gospel and know a lot about Jesus.  Nevertheless it has been sweet to challenge them to dig deeper and live out their faith in Jesus.  It also has been a ton of fun to sing songs with these kids!  They love the songs and every day (especially at the end of the day) we've been having so much fun dancing and singing for Jesus.  It seems like the kids are really present at camp and excited.  Every week of day camps that has been the case, but maybe I'm just more present with them as the weeks go by.

As far as my life outside of Trout Lake Camps goes there are just a few things happening.  My best friend gets married in 18 days!!!  And, Praise the Lord, I got to see her on Monday :).  Love that woman.  I take my licensure exam (again...) on August 10th, so I am attempting to study for that bad boy.  Job hunting is kind of existent, but very hard to do when I am working at camp.  Prayers for that would be fabulous.

This summer I have been learning about my need to apologize after I feel I may have hurt someone just by being me.  I've been called out on it numerous times.  Being aware of my habit is eye opening and has challenged me to check myself before I say sorry.  I am not responsible for other people's emotions, therefore I need not say sorry for fear that they would be upset with me and reject me.  It's true that they could be upset with me and that is perfectly okay.  What I am trying to hold on to is that I am accepted by God and that's enough.  There's more that I'm learning from God about how I operate, especially with others.  For now that is the only thing that seems significant enough to share.

This was good.  The whole blogging thing.

Until next time,

Jamie

Week 1/Trip 1

This week I traveled with two other coordinators and one counselor.  We ended up in Iowa so that meant a 7.5 hour drive without traffic.  I have to say that it was completely worth it.  The moment we entered the church I was reminded of why I love Iowa -- It is the people.  I'm sorry, but the silos and fields of corn aren't at the top of my list.  This city (Iowa City) is in great need of the truth of Jesus Christ.  They need to know what is true based off of what the bible says.  And these kids come from all different kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds.  Iowa City has a good amount of poverty.  It was pretty clear to me and my staff that many of these kids don't know the fundamental truths about God - he loves us and will never leave us.  God has been bringing that simple message back to us counselors/coordinators each day and we have seen the campers begin to retain those truths.  I know it all starts from there.  The gospel is all about God's love and I am overjoyed that we have the opportunity to share that with these campers in Iowa City.  It has been very fun to stay with our host family of six as well!  The husband and wife have four kids who all are cute as can be!  It's been fun to hang out with them, go on walks through the neighborhood, and finally have them warm up to you ;).  The most significant thing that I am taking away from this trip is being able to incorporate my teaching skills into children's ministry.  I am seeing more how God has wired me, and how that can serve the kids I encounter.  It is so sweet to finally see a group of kids understand a simple, yet very important truth.  That's what has marked my week.

Some other fun things that have happened this week are that us counselors went to Chick fil-a (some for the first time) and enjoyed it!  We also found out that Josie (counselor) loves soap...like loves soap.  We had some fun downtown Iowa City and the only store that was open after 7pm was Soap Opera -- Josie was in heaven.  It's been really fun getting to know my staff members more and doing what we love together.

It looks like God has a lot in store for this summer!

-Jamie

p.s.--
The city of Iowa is filled with advertisement for the Hawkeyes so in honor of Iowa this is the picture I choose to share!

gold and black baby.

Keep Calm AND Camp On

Hello Friends,
Tomorrow I embark on yet another adventure.  One that is familiar to me, but still I sit with a mix of anticipation, anxiety, sadness, excitement, etc.  I love home like nobody's business - I especially have appreciated home in the past week or so, because of the finality of this season that I am in.  I am a graduate of Northwestern College (soon to be The University of Northwestern - St. Paul).  I have a degree in Elementary Education, a minor in bible and an emphasis in special education.  Of course going off to college meant leaving the season of being a kid to a certain extent, but for most of us there was still some "kid like moments" we have been able to experience.  Care packages, long breaks home, parents paying for gas, groceries once in a while and other things we just forgot we needed.
In April I began to think about this season of college being done.  To be a bit more honest I began to feel all that there is to feel about graduating.  Mostly, I realized that graduating college means that I am OFFICIALLY an adult. Being at home for a while - I wanted to soak it all up.  But there is much of me that wanted to hold on to the actual place of home, because home symbolizes being a kid.  The truth is that I am no longer a kid.  A wise woman once said, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22," and I couldn't agree with her more.  22 definitely means adulthood.  Graduating and being home brought this feeling of finality.
And now, I have left home again.  This time with the feeling of unknown for what happens after camp, and a longing to have more of home.  Nevertheless I have a peace about going back to a place that brings me so much peace.  While I'm at camp I will need to look for jobs, apply for jobs, maybe interview at schools if possible.  And all of that has produced some anxiety.
The more I look at that poster "Keep Calm and Camp On." the more I believe that's so true. I am going to keep calm: trust God with my future, trust him that he is my stability, my home, my father and camp on: serve others, take in the beautiful landscape of camp, invest in relationship and simply BE in the present where He has so generously placed me.

Like last summer I would love to write a little about each church we go to.  These opportunities we get to experience are filled with such rich blessings and I don't think it would be fair to keep them to myself.  If you're interested in keeping track of my journey I will try my best to be faithful in writing a post about each church we attend.

Please be praying for the churches, host families, campers, and counselors.  That we would have good communication between churches.  That we would be so grateful to the host families and show them Jesus and experience who Jesus is to them.  That the campers would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and that he counselors would be strengthened to serve the campers in every situation: only through the strength of Jesus Christ.

He IS our example of servent leadership.

Keep Calm and Camp On,
Jamie

Graduation

On March 13th I wrote the following:

"I think that when college graduation comes around, grad. candidates feel pressure to keep moving in a pressure-filled way.  I know that I do.  There's this unspoken rule that one needs to accomplish something just as great, if not greater, than the four years of studying at a college.  So doing something that would seem to fit into the "college years" category doesn't satisfy.  So many of my good friends have told me that life after graduation is very hard.  I wonder if that pressure to fulfill all the dreams one had in college once they graduate has made that season of life hard.  I'm unsure, and really it could be a number of things that make it hard.

Life after graduation doesn't need to look a certain way.  It just gets to be what it is, and dreams get to be dreams.  They get to be pursued without pressure.  Passions get to be ignited in unexpected and expected ways.  Desires get to be fulfilled, yet not.  In the midst of it ALL, God is still God and is always good."

 

Life after graduation doesn't need to look a certain way.  I need to hear those words again.  If you are at this same season in life, or a season of unknown maybe these words are helpful to you too.  I graduated College...woah.  I'm working at Trout again this summer and after that...I don't know.  One thing I do know is that God knows.  It's been my simple prayer over these past couple months: God Knows.  

God is good & He loves me

Over the past 4 years I have experienced so much.  There have been joyful times and times of great despair. In the aftermath of it all I find myself more thankful for the painful seasons of life as a college student, because I have walked through the fire and come out refined.  (hopefully not burnt and smelly...)  Not for a moment did He forsake me (Meridith Andrews, I kinda stole your song lyrics).  There was always a purpose and it was always for my good.  Even if it was painful.  My 4 years at Northwestern College (soon to be The University of Northwestern - St. Paul) have been beautiful.  Beautiful describes the season of life rightly.  I went through periods of depression and anxiety.  I experienced deep healing of my soul.  I was in a wonderful, hard and serious relationship that taught me so much about life and love.  I had the opportunity to be an RA my sophomore year.  I was able to serve the girls in my hall to the best of my ability as a sophomore juggling a relationship and education classes could.  I taught 3rd graders, 5th graders, kindergarteners and most of all my lovely 4th grade students who got 14 weeks with me (lucky them ;)).   I lived on my own, paid rent and worked at a restaurant in order to pay the bills.  One of my most favorite times during this 4 year experience was being a day camps coordinator at Trout Lake Camps.  It was exactly what I needed.  Not because all my wants were met.  No, because this is when I truly began to learn how to put my desires to the side and love others.  I am so grateful to God for blessing me with that experience.  The friendships I made that summer were such a blessing.  Some of my closests friends in my life as of now are from camp.  As I reflect I think about the summer before I came to Northwestern.  All my fears, concerns and questions.  Now, according to my app (t-zero), I have 4 days and 13 hours until I graduate.  I was so afraid, and I had no idea that God had showers of blessings to poor upon me.  Now more than ever I see His goodness and grace.  I see how these last 4 years have changed who I am positively.  I believe I see the Lord differently and the way I view the world has changed.  Fear doesn't mark me, but as I walk through each day I fight for love to be the tape that plays in my brain.  My passion for teaching has come alive and there is nothing that I'd rather do.  Nothing.  My heart feels open to loving students and pouring myself out to them.  I hope that as I walk that stage and get my diploma, and walk out the doors of Maranatha Hall that I may walk away knowing two things: God is good and He always loves me.  Those two lessons are what I carry with me from my 4 years at Northwestern.  From that I am more open to saying "thy will be done."

God is good & He loves me.

The Right Way to View a Box.

I have learned that each one of us carries with us a box.  Inside our box we carry the troubles, joys, sorrows, and excitements of our lives.  There are two ways I have misunderstood how to view my box, as well as those closest to me.  I have thought that I can hold my box and everything in it.  I've thought that it's my job to open up each item in the box and fix that item.  Wrong.  Then when others show me their box, and unload their items I have thought it right and possible to pick up the items in their box as well.  Wrong.
As it pertains to my box, God gets to hold it.  We open it up together, and I bring each item to him.  When others share their boxes with me I get to watch as they unpack, and validate what I see.  Why would I try to pick something up that God already is holding?

Do you feel responsible for the hardships of others?  You're not.  It is so important to be there for the ones The Lord has placed in our lives.  And when its appropriate we should speak into their lives with grace and truth.  But more than anything I believe that making room for Jesus to be Jesus gives miles on end for me to be me, and the other next to me to be them.

I believe carrying someone's burdens is very different than trying to fix their burdens.  I'd much rather sit with someone in their pain and see them, rather then try to fix their heart and life circumstances.  I believe that Jesus came to heal us, and set us free to live for Him.  It's His job to heal the broken parts of me, and comfort me.  And that doesn't change for the other beside me.

Life doesn't stop

"And from His fullness we have ALL received grace upon grace." - John 1:16

It will have been two months that I have been student teaching on March 15th.  It has went by incredibly fast, and I have grown mentally, emotionally and spiritually in ways I never thought I would.  Right now I am home for my spring break.  I italicized this, because this break is and will be filled with mountains of studying.  

It is scary and exciting to think that in a little more than two months I graduate college.  The reality of this major event in my life is actually beginning to feel real.  Can I just tell you how relieving, and at the same time daunting this feels?!  Graduating college feels like it's something for "big kids," and well I don't feel like a "big kid."  ha.  "Well, kiddo, you are and life is just going to keep moving," is what I think would be fitting to tell myself at this point.

Life. Does. Not. Stop.  

The clock continues to tick, seasons change, babies are born, others are lost, and each day the sun sets and rises.  That sounds kind of depressing, but that's not my purpose in writing this.  If life keeps going, I want to as well.  I want to be present in each moment, because that is where the Lord is.  I believe that's where I see all that He is doing (well...all he chooses to show me).

I think that when college graduation comes around, grad. candidates feel pressure to keep moving in a pressure-filled way.  I know that I do.  There's this unspoken rule that one needs to accomplish something just as great, if not greater, than the four years of studying at a college.  So doing something that would seem to fit into the "college years" category doesn't satisfy.  So many of my good friends have told me that life after graduation is very hard.  I wonder if that pressure to fulfill all the dreams one had in college once they graduate has made that season of life hard.  I'm unsure, and really it could be a number of things that make it hard.

Life after graduation doesn't need to look a certain way.  It just gets to be what it is, and dreams get to be dreams.  They get to be pursued without pressure.  Passions get to be ignited in unexpected and expected ways.  Desires get to be fulfilled, yet not.  In the midst of it ALL, God is still God and is always good.  

"You're the ground that doesn't shake

You're the branch that doesn't break

You're the light that never fades

and You're holding on

There's never been a time

You've ever left my side

You're love never dies

and You're holding on"

- Lindsay McCaul

"Hold on to Me"