selflessness

So God kind of hit me in a pretty big way over the last week or so.

Long story short, I've been obsessing over two things: 1.) myself and 2.) boys. Neither of which I'm proud of. I knew it was bad when I recognized the issue and didn't really want to change it. I can totally tell its been getting in between me and my greatest Love.

Faithsteps tonight kind of brought that idea of a self-serving vs. servant's mindset full circle, along with some of my own devotion time (one of my few for a while. again, not proud). Tonight Ken brought some awesome insight about the church and fellowship as believers. The early church was so wholly devoted, they would sell all of their belongings just so that they could meet the needs of others. They were immersed in the Word. They were saturated with humble and selfless love. They fellowshipped, followed, and filled themselves with the Spirit. But get this:

"People liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved." Acts 2:47

When we love the way we were designed and build our relationships with Jesus at the center, people notice. Souls are eternally saved by it through God's divine intervention.

Also Philippians chapter 2 in my study Bible was appropriately titled "Joy in Serving" which I definitely needed, all about following God's directions and putting others first. Pretty rad how He pieces things together right before my eyes. I love that. And Him.

courage

So blogging this summer has proved to be more difficult than it first seemed, I have like zero time to do it nowadays. I've been loving work lately, I have good and bad days (and by that I mean good and bad kids) but they're all so wonderful and its truly the most rewarding experience. I have a few favorites now, one of whom is George. He's smaller than all the other kids and likes to dance around during lunch. He is also fond of holding my hand and playing monkey-see monkey-do. Clearly he's the most adorable 5 year old ever. My co-counselors are just as amazing, I worked with Tysheem last week and he is truly a blessing as a co. Jenna has become a close camp friend, she's hilarious. I've taken up tennis, sort of. By that I mean I hit around a lot and never play by the rules. The fam leaves for Ohio tomorrow morning, and I can't wait to see my grandparents. Grandma Marlynn and I are going on a walk in Blacklick park, I love just talking with her. She is a wealth of wisdom.

Just finished Esther, and its amazing to me how God uses each and every thing we say and do for His glory. Esther is definitely the perfect picture of the woman I hope to be some day. Her boldness and strength is unmatched, and because of her willing spirit God gave her incredible opportunity. I also want the heart of Mordecai, he stayed true to his roots even after the king granted him immeasurable power. His humility remained intact, and he continued to worship his Almighty God. Not to mention the whole story is super action-packed.

july 6th, 2011

I'm finally getting things back in order after a crazy first few weeks of summer. I've picked up on my quiet time some, ran (6 miles, swag), and caught up with some friends. Anna and I went on a day trip to the beach, where we ran into Phil and Corey. She is truly wonderful, and I can't describe in words how blessed I am to have known her this short amount of time. I know shes going to grow in ways I can't even imagine, and shes really going to make an impact on everyone she meets next year. I spent Independence Day with Rach and Julia at the lake, some much needed R&R. Got together with some friends that evening for fun and food, I've missed that. I caught up with Caleb over dinner and a walk through the park. Lets face it, anything that involves enjoying creation after a delicious meal is right up my alley. I have my first actually huddle this week at work, and my co-counselor Will is beyond amazing. He is so gifted in more ways that I could ever dream of. He's definitely helping me figure this whole camp counselor thing out, and providing more than enough support along the way.

So just finished Exodus, and yet again Moses' faith astounds me. When God tells him to go out and do something, he responds with this:

"Moses said, 'If your presence doesn't take the lead, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that You are with me in this, with me and Your people?'" Ex. 33:15

Seriously. How many times do I actually think about whether or not I am consciously aware of His guiding Spirit? It should be daily that I ask Him to take the reigns. I shouldn't go anywhere without Him in the forefront of my mind. He's always right beside me, but how often do I walk with Him hand in hand?