Summer Camp

We spent a week at Camp Tejas this year with our youth and it was amazing!  Being that this is one of the biggest events of the year I didn't want to miss it.  I have to admit I was a bit nervous... you see I'm a Connect Leader with the junior girls but I was also taking Mack and I HAD to be mom first.    Micah obviously needed to be fully engaged since he was spearheading the event as youth pastor.  I wasn't sure how Mack would do with traveling on a charter bus for 7 hours or the fact that service didn't start till 7 pm and he was usually in bed by 7:30.  Micah assigned another church lady to sleep in the cabin with my girls and for back-up in case I couldn't be available for devotions or group time after services.  May I brag for just a minute on my 81/2 month old? Ok, well I'm going to anyway... he didn't fuss the entire trip up, he kept to his feeding and napping schedule and stayed up 2 1/2 hrs past his bedtime each night without a peep allowing me to have group time with my girls, then went right to sleep without any problem afterwards. I love my kiddo!  (I know I had back up but it just wouldn't have been the same since I am the one that meets with them weekly and knows them).

Out of the 200 students (between junior high and high school) I had 11 junior girls go with 4 different schools represented and prior to camp they didn't really talk much during our Sunday morning Connect time.  After camp they have been inseparable! It was so cool to get to see God work in their lives as well as build healthy friendships that will encourage them in their walk with God.  

One of the highlights at camp was when Micah had the privilege of baptizing one of the students. On August 25 we are having a student baptism service where over 52 students will be getting baptized but Nashae is moving away and will miss this service so Micah baptized her in the lake at camp.   What made this event even more special was Nashae was in Micah's mom's connect group. Karen's mother (Micah's grandma) died the Saturday before camp, she was with her when she passed away, but the next day left in order to make it to camp on Monday.  Nashae had been growing deeper in the Lord and wanted to be baptized.  When Karen asked Micah if he could baptize her at camp he said he would work out a time.   

Only God could have orchestrated that baptism.  At the moment Micah baptized Nashae, grandma's funeral was starting in Oklahoma.  What a glorious experience--saying a final farewell to a woman who had valiantly lived all her days for God (she was still sewing quilts for missions at age 92) and baptizing a young woman who has committed her life to follow Jesus passionately! It doesn't get any better than that!! 

As part of the week each group had to come up with a team name and slogan - we were The Pink Cobras: "Fear the Venom".  They liked it so much we are actually having a t-shirt made for each of us to wear to all of our Connect outings.  Here's what our shirt will look like, on the back we will each have our name.

Micah & Mack on the charter bus.

Swimming in the very warm pool.

Micah in the mud pit.

The Pink Cobras, last night after service.

Axis Girl's Night

April 9th and 10th I led a Girl's Night for our Axis High School girls.  The theme was BECOMING.  We had two sessions the first was BECOMING: A Changed Identity.  We talked about the story of Paul and when he encountered Christ he was transformed, his identity changed (literally).  When we encounter Christ we too should have a change in identity. Group time afterwards was powerful and lives were transformed!


The second session was BECOMING: A Woman of God.  I shared a bit of my testimony and how you don't just become a woman of God overnight, in fact finding our identities in Christ may take the rest of our lives but we have to take a first step.  I am very thankful for 3 very vital people in my life who were instrumental in my process:

• One was Radonna.  She really taught me how to be content in whatever state you find yourself and that I needed to be complete in Christ before I could ever complete someone else.  

• Teri (Pastor Rick’s wife) taught me how to be a supportive helpmate in her reverence for the Lord and her unwavering devotion to Rick.

• Peggy (Rick’s late mother) taught me more than I’ll ever know... it wasn’t a classroom, or a teaching but it was her life that I observed and time spent with her.  I remember wishing I could be just like her right then.  Until I realized it took 60+ years in the making for her to become the woman of God she was.  She taught me how to Be the Woman God wanted me to be for today. I’m only 28 years old but it has taken 28 years to make me into the Woman of God that I am today and many more years to Become the Woman of God He wants me to be.  What I’ve had to learn is to embrace the process!

We ended by talking about how one of life’s most costly and beautiful objects is born out of pain and irritation-the pearl. A tiny piece of sand slips into an oyster’s shell and begins to rub against the soft tissue, causing irritation.  In response to the irritation, the oyster produces a hard substance. This substance eventually develops into one of the world’s most beautiful jewels-a lovely luminous pearl. However, it is a process that we must all embrace!

With 2 sick boys this week and little time to prep for this event, God was so gracious to work in these girl's lives and use me to do so - Thank you Jesus!