mid summer solo and recent learnings

It's a new week, and a very abnormal one at that.  In my cabin, I have the two horsemanship campers, so I have responsibilities of getting them up early and down to the barn before breakfast.  I also am the leader of sports path.  The only reason I ended up with that is because the only person who signed up for that was a girl from my cabin, and she just wants to path hop, so I am just the adult supervision and organizer.  Yesterday we did bike path.  I am so out of shape and with it being one of the hottest days, I am ashamed to say that I did not handle the heat very well.  Unfortunetly I really slowed my camper down a lot, and ended up walking just about the entire two miles back.  Today I took her to paintball, and she just loved it (and was very good at it too).

This morning I also had my second solo.  To read about my first solo, click here.  Sadly, my second solo could not be as long as my first (six hours), but it was still very much needed and enjoyed.  I debated about going off camp and had a few offers on vehicles to borrow, but when I thought about the short time I had (three hours), I didn't want to waste the time driving anywhere.  I then debated about hiking somewhere on camp, but as I was about to leave, it started to sprinkle.  So I decided instead to hunker down in the nurses station.  I had a whole room to myself with two comfy beds, thick curtains, and it was cool.  I spent some amazing time in God's Word (see below), and then took an hour and a half nap, and just laid there pondering how wonderful silence is.  The time was so relaxing, and I feel so refreshed just from those short three hours of without campers!

I was given a devotional back when I was in school, 40 Days With Jesus--Celebrating His Presence (I highly recommend it).  This summer I have slowly but surely going through it.  I have so enjoyed it.  It is written from God's perspective on attributes of His and common ways we tweak what He tells us.  Today, in my solo (alone time, to refresh physically and spiritually), I was working with Psalm 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God."  Sarah Young states in the booklet (from God's perspective mind you), "Seek my face, and you will find all that you have longed for.  The deepest yearning of your heart are for intimacy with Me.  I know, because I designed you to desire me.  Do not feel guilty about taking time to be still in My presence.  You are simply responding to the tugs of divinity within you.  I made you in My image, and I hid heaven in your heart.  Your yearning for Me is a form of homsickness: longing for your true home in heaven...To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish you desire to please other people.  However, your closeness to Me will bless other by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world."  This came at such a perfect time for me.  I needed the reminder that I do not need to feel guilty for wanting to spend time with Him.  He created me to be like that.  I was also reminded that I can't feed others spiritually, unless I am caring for myself and feeding myself spiritually.  So thankful for the valuable lessons I am learning from this book.

Still trying to heal from my cold, and now from getting sick yesterday.  But God is good, ALL the time!  Praising Him for the lessons He is teaching me this summer and the ways He is stretching me.  All glory and honor to Him.

This is my friend Jenny and I while we were waiting for this week's campers.