Countdown to Camp #1!

Well, here we are, a mere three days to the opening rally for Camp #1. It has been a long process of praying, writing, rewriting, attempting crafts, finding games that wouldn't inflict injury, and figuring out what exactly the purpose of the kids camp was. For eight months we've been working on this project and praying up a storm- cause let's face it, with out that, what even is Children's Ministry? Oh yeah...babysitting. So here it is: 

Our heart for this ministry...

I am literally overwhelmed with the goodness of God, and the power of His presence and prayer. Literally. I keep finding myself in positions where God not only meets my needs, but exceeds my expectations in every way. My hope for this curriculum, as it is about to come to pass, is that children would develop a passion for prayer and a heart for missions! My hope is that they encounter God at this event, and that they begin to understand that God has a plan and purpose for them! 

This is going to be an amazing week of fun, but it's also going to be a time of revelation of God's heart for people, and how we can model that today! 

I am so excited and blessed to be a part of this awesome God opportunity! Partner with us in prayer as we begin to start into week number one!

On another note of blessing, if you or somebody you know also works in Children's Ministries, I will be training for an online Children's Ministry workshop through pajamaconference.com on July 30th! It's for free if you want to tune in to learn about "Developing Leaders in Your Ministry"! You can read a quick synopsis of it here. 

Anyways, the next three days are going to be crazy. Pray for me! Seriously. Praise the Lord for the leaders who are partnering with me, and Praise the Lord for Go-Girls. ☺

Love Notes and Great Folks

What? Blogging two days in a row? Yeah, I'm multitasking...
So last night, I brought in my first box from my college stuff. I know, I know...it's been almost a month we've been out, but it's only books and what not. Well, the what not was some notes from my good friends (hand written notes are my favorite), and I realized how much I miss the friends I made at APU! It's funny though, I was sad, yes, but I just feel blessed that I have those friendships! For certain reasons, many of the friendships I have in Azusa got real real deep, real real fast! I'm mostly certain that if they weren't based on a mutual love for Christ, we wouldn't have known how to encourage one another best.
And I'm not dissing my friends from the YC- Ale, Nikki, Tori, Janny, everyone...you all know I love you like Jonathon loved David, and I'm talking about the biblical figures who were like brothers, not some obscure other reference...Anyways, from the long conversations that take place in my car, or chalk drawing, or adventures, or kids camps, I know our friendships were orchestrated perfectly!

And I guess that's what I'm talking about...it is so awesome that God does that for us- orchestrates friendships that are not only filled with laughter and shenanigans and frolicking, but also encouraging words when we need them, and support , and good wholesome fun! This school year, I was blessed with both people on my hall- Carol, Kaitlyn, Emily, Brea, Abby, Rachel, Emily P, Lauren..., and those who were older  wiser who invested time and prayer in me! All of you- Nichole, Brigina,  Chelsea, Dee, Teagan, Holly, Aranda...there's so many more (please don't be offended if I didn't name you- multitasking has never been my strong suit.) I guess this is just a little shout out that I am so incredibly blessed by you all! Incredibly.

I was also reminded of my awesome friends when I received a letter in the mail- yes, snail mail! from The Brea! So great. Made my life. So I'm sending her a letter as soon as I post this...

Let's be pen pals, cause let's be honest, who doesn't love a good hand written note? 

Anyways, thank you for being wonderful friends. 

It doesn't get much better.

Love.

Summer Plights and Stage Lights

So this summer has been jam packed with planning and running and scavenging and speaking, and my camp tour hasn't even started yet! "Camp tour?" you may be questioning ever so gingerly, well I can't remember if I've really told you anything about it, but basically me and my esteemed colleague (and best friend) co-wrote a curriculum which God has blessed beyond our imagination!

Here's the promo video...

Pretty legit- PTL!

But besides all the shopping, planning, and conference calling for Kids Camp, I turned 19, hit an artistic streak, started writing two books, am in a children's production, and illegally trespassed. My life be cray.

Turning19...what to say? Age is but a number, babycakes.

I found these really rad wallpaper sample tiles, and I'm creating a really cool collage out of them.

(And by really cool, I mean simply elementary.)

My two books? One is fictional, the other is a teen girl devotional- this arose after the Purity Conference.

These things are taking a back seat though, unfortunately, because my nights and only moments of free time are being spent at rehearsals for a children's theater production of "The Princess and the Porcupine" - I owed the director a favor.

Oddly enough, I realized I really miss the stage. I guess I'm just trying to figure out how the desires of my heart interact with the call God has given me. Because I am a firm believer that God gives us gifts for a purpose, I just don't know if I've already played them out. Who knows? Not me. But God. We'll just see...

Such Good Times...

Google me.

Anyways yesterday, with Alejandra, I hopped the fence onto Yuba City High School because her future German classroom was open. Me being the instigator I am, encouraged her to do it. But as soon as our little feet touched down on the grass, we were caught by a janitor. He was nice though, and let us take a look. It was pretty fun.

Mentoring in Awesomeness...like a boss.

 Anyways, this is really filled to overflowing. Oh well, enjoy as you will. Pray for my camps, and for direction, and I will pray for you. 

Pinky Promise. 

Love you. 

A Moment of Silence & A Haunted Library.

So what do you get when you cross a yard sale, an attempt at sign language, reunions, a haunted library, a basement venue, adventures in disguises, a conversation with a native morrocan who is fluent in German and teaches English, lots of stage kissing, and an impromptu speech on the importance of IHOP coupons? My day yesterday. BOOM.

It all started with the early morning awakenings of a yard sale, because everyone knows when the ad says 8:00AM, we really meant 5:30AM! Well, everyone but me. I suppose it wouldn't have been quite so bad if I hadn't stayed up late the night before watching this...

"Delightfully Dangerous" starring Jane Powell (1945)

I'm an old soul. 

Anyways, it wasn't quite so bad because I bonded with two wonderful women over the course of the yard sale, and one was due to this movie! An older lady was quite surprised to hear my tiredness was due to classic movie watching the night before, and boy, was she happy to hear it!

The second lady, Julie, I know was a God-send, and she was deaf. Julie was the fourth confirmation God sent my way regarding sign language.

1. Ze best frand and I discuss my slight desire to learn sign language.

2. I find a book in my closet called, "Learning Sign Language, for Beginners".

3. Cold Case episode was about a boy in a deaf school.

4. Julie!

And when I went to Oklahoma! last night I met John, who was also partially deaf. Count 'em- five! All in the course of 24 HOURS! I talked to Julie for a while, she was nice enough to put up with my sloppy and choppy signs. Anyways, now I'm going to take a class. (Added it to my dream list!)

Isn't it wonderful to see God in the little things? Why yes, yes it is.

After that, me and my good friend, Ale, were reunited!

And we went to the Historical  HAUNTED Library in Marysville to check out the basement for Underground Prom.It's been said children laugh in the attic at night. We explored the second and third floor because we thought we heard voices from the people who worked there, but it was EMPTY! Finally we found them in the back of the first floor. They sent us to the basement where the DJ was bumping some tracks for fun. It was sick. (In a good way).

Grabbed some dinner and saw Ale's teacher who is upset at her at the moment, so we drove by three times, changing our hair to distract from our true identities. 

Wrapped up the night talking with John, the deaf German Morrocan English teacher, and Oklahoma! where everyone gets kissed apparently. Then off to IHOP to keep the tradition alive.

Lots of adventures and new friends, let's just say the WOO inside was real happy! More to do today, maybe if more fun happens, I'll tell you about it tomorrow!
Love adventures, summer, and YOU.

Five days in, It's about that time!

Well it's that time...rather, it's been that time for five days. Summer. And it's time to announce the goals. Why? You may ask...because that's the way I roll. But i'm not quite sure yet... I'm feeling a bit more of a "To-do List" coming on. So here it is, lovelies, the Summer to do List:
1. Pray for next year- Alphies, intentional relationships, boldness, possible study abroad...Good thing, God knows the desires of my heart!
2. Play with Brother more- I love Andrew, and he's getting interesting now, so time to hang with him a little more. We started playing Black Ops, and he straight up pointed and laughed. Thanks, Broseph.

3. Plan the most epic dance ever- Underground Prom. 2nd Annual. Open to all high schoolers. DJ. Dancing. Fun Times. We already hit a bump in the road and I had to switch the venue, but hey, someone's got to take care of it.

4. Dance/ choreograph more- When I feel it, I do it.

5. Kids Camps- See my VBS Curriculum all the way to completion! At three churches in Northern California, and one in Southern. God is too good to me!

6. Paint more- In the words of Teagan, "Everyone's an artist, some people just don't believe it." Might as well!

7. Learn to long board- It looks like fun, and last year I started learning, I just never finished...

8. Invest in my high school homies- There are a few who will be graduating this year, or the next who I'd really like to know that I care about them!

9. Evangelize- in churches, Target, Starbucks, wherever.

10. Take time for me- Pedicures are my favorite, and so many summers, I get wrapped up in the hustle of camps and what not. But I need time to reflect, and maybe write more.

11. Be inspired- Accomplish at least three things off my dream list, and add five.

There you go. A summer of desires. I can't get wrapped up in the hustle this year. This summer will be beneficial all around. This summer will be full of adventures. 

Just don't be mad, if most of them are ministry related.

Love.

The Final Words...

Of Freshman Year...(Get it? You have to read the title and the post...together.)
Well here I am, sitting in a basically deserted hallway. Twenty have gone, fourteen remain. And I'm the only one awake right now. Greeeeeaaat. I don't mind though. Honest! My mom will be here in about half an hour, and my final wipings down and packing away has just happened. Sitting here alone, listening to the smelly fridge in the bistro buzz, and to the air blasting from who knows where (maybe my room?) I know that God has brought me here. To this time, to this place, to this very moment. To a time of reflection over the whole year. It started off a little crazy, meeting new people every night, getting maybe four hours of sleep, forgetting such things as "inside voices" even existed. And after our first hall meeting, we all morphed into a great breathing, mob of awkward and yelling and sc00terz and onezies known as Fourth North. It's funny looking back at how everyone tried to portray themselves that first month- seen it all: sleep walking to constant laughing to accented voices- everything. As the year went on though, it wasn't okay to have mediocre friendships anymore, no more of this surface level stuff. I had to get real and deep, real-real fast. And it was okay. I saw my friend groups change almost four times this year, and each time it was just an expansion that I know had to be a God thing. I know God put me here for a reason- to be encouraged and encourage. I know that I have tried my best to point to God in everything and even though that's been a struggle at points (hello, human natureee), I will always remember how greatly God blessed this year! And looking back, I'm going to remember: being hit on at Mick's when I was dressed a fool, swimming in the pond (three times), scootering in the rain, playing in the park, chalk stalks, thrifting, splatter, almost dying at foamcoming, beach trips, Scary Saturdays turned Silly Saturdays with Kayla, music videos, knock codes, airport adventures, playing in the Citrus fountain (twice), Zumba class to Jesus music, D Group adventures, Pans Labyrinth at Teagan's with D and Brea, swimming in UV when it was freezing...wow, it's been great.
I love APU, Fouth North, and YOU.
And Summer- which I'll be posting about soon, I'm sure.

Love.

Freshman Year in Review!

Hey thurrrr, remember me? Maybe not...It's been years a long time (I'm trying to work on my exaggerating). Anywho, can you believe it? I'm almost down with my first year. Wha-wha-wha-what'd chu say? Yeaaah, buddy. In t-minus four days I will be headed home. I cannot believe it. Seriously, it's like...forgetting the words to your favorite song, you can't remember you were always singing along...shout out to Re.Spekt. But honestly, where did the year go? I can't believe we're almost done. Seriously, where did the year go?

Oh yeaaaauuuhh...that's where.

Here's the thing: this year I have been so incredibly blessed- from the people who have taken time to genuinely invest time and prayer in me, to the awesome people who have adventured with me. This has been such an amazing time of growth, and sometimes pain, and tons of fun, and I know that God has been in every single moment. I've learned a lot about myself, so here it is: One good and bad thing I've learned about myself.

Good: I've learned to be more vulnerable this year than I ever have before.

Everywhere there are people at APU, there's somebody asking you to share your life story. Er'rywhere. That used to scare me so bad, and I never wanted to tell people what I was struggling with or thinking or going through or anything. But this year, God has shown me through vulnerability is He seen best, because God always redeems us from our struggles.

Bad: I have the power to hurt myself and others.

This year I've learned the gravity of my words and actions. So many times I've said things jokingly or done things just for fun and realized, "Hey, this might've been what we like to call a 'bad choice'."Here's the deal,God's shown this to me, and I'm going to work on it-to honor Him with my thoughts, words, and actions (heart, soul, mind, and strength). Gotz to rememburrr...

Life Lesson: God is always faithful.

Always.

So that's my freshman year: Catz, sk00t-sk00tz, onezies, midnight adventures, l33t sp34k, red gatorade, friend dates, chalk stalks, hall dinnerz, Fourth North of Courth, Phonathon, Amassador, dress up dates, Splatter, Tanktacular, Foamcoming, AZHOP, DGroup. BOOM.

I honestly thank God for blessing me with such an amazing year.

Really, it could not have been better.

And sophmore year is just around the river bend.

Love.