i have a reason to worship

All of my life, in every season, You are still God! I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship. These words are so powerful. They have so much meaning in them. God will never leave or forsake us, and everything created by God is good and there is good that comes from everything in life, even if it may or may not seem like it at the time. My sister is getting married a week from today, and I pray that in all seasons of their marriage, they will see God in each other and they will believe that no matter how the day goes, God is always there and there is always a reason to worship Him and sing praise to Him! No matter where you are, in everything you do, may you bring God glory and realize that He is the reason for living and He supplies us with our needs and blesses us with many things we do not deserve. :)

Random Thoughts

I haven't written in a few weeks! I honestly forgot I had a blog after I got home from camp-- it felt like I was in a different world! The world of Greystone consists of enthusiastic and energetic campers, counselors and camp directors, and the love of God and joy surrounding you is so contagious. It is almost impossible to be sad, lonely or upset at Greystone because there are so many people constantly pouring joy, love and care into you, and you are also expected to do the same. Sometimes things got a little tough when a camper was homesick or half of my cabin was in the Health Hut (which thankfully, I escaped), but everything always seemed to not just work out, but to end up great. I remember thinking, "Things really do get difficult sometimes, but it really doesn't stay that way very long!", and that reassured me and helped me enjoy every moment of every day. It is really amazing how good God is, and how powerful it is to be in His presence and to share it with over 600 people around me. One of the times I miss the most about Greystone is when we are at Morning Assembly and everyone is worshipping, singing praise to God and dancing. I mostly just miss looking around the pavillion and seeing everyone having so much fun and being so genuine. God was and is working in all of our lives, and it was so evident at those moments especially. Everyone contributes to the greatness of Greystone, but some of the campers impacted me the most. And, my campers impacted me, but so many others did as well. It is so interesting to meet girls of all different ages and backgrounds, in addition to unique personalities. Each and every girl I met had a smile on her face at some point in time. Many smiled all the time, and it took a lot of humor, talking and cheering up in order to get some to smile. As you might know, smiling and laughing are a part of who I am, and I don't understand people who don't smile or laugh often. One of my goals at Greystone was to get every girl with whom I interacted to smile or laugh. It didn't always happen, but when you make a little girl smile, laugh or talk when she may seem like the most shy girl in the world, it not only satisfies you personally, but you see that the joy in your heart may be rubbing off on them. And, since I know that my joy comes from the Lord, when I see them joyful, I know the Lord is in them and is working in their heart as well. Some of the campers already had so much love and joy of the Lord in them, and others were far from that, but I believe that almost all of the campers, if not all of them, found a little more joy and love by spending 3 weeks at Greystone. It's encouraging to all of the counselors and directors to see the campers' joy and excitement beginning to become a constant in their lives, and I hope that they took that home with them. I miss my campers, and I miss Greystone! I also miss so many of the great counselors that I began to grow close to during camp, and I hope and pray that they are enjoying camp right now. Being a camp counselor taught me a lot about life, and one of the things I learned was that God really does have a plan, and every moment of the day is part of that plan. Also, He never fails us, and when we are down, He always picks us back up and gives us more faith than we had before. Furthermore, every growing Christian can impact others and show the character of Christ to them through their actions and words. Actions are definitely the most important, but words also have a strong impact, especially when you are speaking the Word. Of course, the Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword, so those words are the most powerful. We always have the opportunity to share the Gospel, especially if we are fearful of it because that is when God is the most present and it is the most challenging. Camp also reminded me once again of my love for kids, and I've recently been thinking about my future. I know God knows what's in store, and He takes the steps for me, but I have been inspired to do some more thinking about the possibility of becoming a teacher. Obviously, my favorite subject to teach would be English, but I'm actually thinking I would love to teach 1st or 2nd graders. Yes, they are only 6-8 years old, but that is the age I love the most! Since they are just learning how to write, it is always so interesting to see the depths of their imaginations. They are so creative at that age! Working with the Greystone Gazette at camp was so fun, and I really felt like a writing teacher. I wasn't the best at it, but the most important thing was, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching those girls, and it was so fun to work with them. There aren't writing teachers for 6-8 year olds, but it is a part of what you teach, and the math and reading and science and whatever else I would have to teach would not be that difficult, at least I hope not:) Anyway, it's just a thought! I definitely want journalism to be a big part of my life and my future, but I'm not sure how it is going to connect with my love for kids and desire to work with them. I would love to do both, and I might do one or the other and then go to grad school later for the other. Who knows? Only time will tell (well, and God:)). Until then, I will trust God to lead me in the right direction and I will continue to try to honor Him in everything I do.