lost

those of you who read this who served on summer staff '08 at lakeview will automatically think "lost, so lost"...and that's what i was...lost-i even sent a text to a friend saying something along the lines of "i think it should be illegal/impossible to get lost on the way to church"...my church experiences since i've been at lutherhaven have been interesting...
-one random visit to a baptist church down the road with the camp family (random because we planned to go to their church-but had a last minute change of plans)
-a sunday where i thought i was going to an lcms church, but got stared down by some women at the church which i thought was the lcms church-a closer look told me it was the church of the nazarene. woops. i then went next door to the lcms church-which used all wisconsin synod materials.
-aboite lutheran-i got lost. miserably. and i was late. miserably. but it was all part of one of the best weekends i've had in a long time and i was determined not to be distraught. i made it, caught the last few minutes of the sermon, sat through communion, and headed out at the end of the service, but went back for the monday night service. a pastor and a church which are very real...they aren't concerned with labels (like synod) or what other people think-in fact, free thought, real fears, and explanations of life seem to be encouraged. mmm. on the way out, a lady stopped me and very honestly said she was excited i was there. i was too. instead of shaking hands, the pastor hugs people on their way out. he took one look at me and opened his arms even wider. i was thrilled. instead of trying to learn my name and things about me, he simply said "i hope it was worth your time"....wow. i think that was neat. definitely shocked me. but i enjoyed it. it was all entirely interesting because it wasn't the familiarity of the service, the over-welcomeness, or the content of the sermon that hooked me. usually it is...but overall i just enjoyed it.
it was worth getting lost to find...and go back twice.

mash

remember that game we all used to play as little kids, MASH? it was so crazy...as little girls we either didn't want to admit who our true crush really was...or we were petrified when his name got crossed out. we thought we were doomed when we got stuck living in a 'shack,' and let's face it...life without a stretch limo would just be impossible.
i got to play mash last night with some friends on a chalk board table of all places-it was fun! it all followed an interesting day in the office--well, an interesting few minutes where the discussion of my future/current degree/what do i want to do with the rest of my life came up...it was overwhelming, but i'm getting used to it. i still have no clue what the rest of life entails, but my boss was quick to remind me that God is going to use me according to my gifts and talents, and right now that is here. it was nice to hear.
after the office, i bit through the cold and stood outside and watched the sunset. i've been trying to work on the 'listening' part of praying-and really expressing my concerns. not sure if i'm getting any better at it, but i'm trying. so the sunset helped with that-just to be reminded that God is bigger. mmm
the night followed with card games (there's a moose in your house!!! hay un alce en la casa! and SLAM!)--->which yielded lots of fun and laughing. we then played various games-'predicting' our futures and analyzing our lives.
i'm reminded of proverbs 16...a recent reading that has stuck with me and i think i should make myself read everyday. mash and all that stuff is great...but we don't have to worry about it. our Maker and Creator knows more about our future than we can even remember about our past. i still don't know where i'm going in life, but i'm glad i don't have to leave it up to a game of mash to decide.

stories

i've realized that as time passes by we compile a great amount of stories.
but what is a story if it goes untold?
one of the things i love about living and working at camp are the times i get invited to dinner with the other camp families. it's a time of story telling, and everyone enjoys it.
while out to lunch one day, i was asked the answer the simple question, "so, how is God working in your life?" it took hours. i didn't realize the gravity of the story i was telling or the story my life had become until i sat down and compiled it all together. hopefully this blog can be a place where i can continue to tell the story of how God continues to amaze me day by day.