Hurry Up Camp!

For the past several years (9 or so) I have worked with Youth Conference Ministries (YCM) at camps during the summer.  Several years I was a camp counselor, I did a couple of years on work crew, I've been an intern, done recreation, but now my claim is summer staff.  If you're not familiar with YCM or "Camp stuff" in general, those titles probably mean nothing to you, and thats okay.  

Basically Summer Staff is a summer long commitment to work at several different Great Escape Camps (middle school) and Fun In The Son camps (high school) all over the east coast, doing any and everything you can.  We help set up and tear down stage and program sets, help run cameras, spots, or slideshows at program, help run rec, help with evening events or aftermaths, and do SECURITY at night to ensure all campers are quiet, safe, and accounted for (this job can get quite exciting!)  Some interesting things happen on security...(stories to come) and I think I'm learning that I don't always understand middle school girls...shocker!

Anyways, I'm in the middle of my 2 off weeks, and while I've thoroughly enjoyed my time off, I am so ready to get back.  

You quickly find that camp staff becomes a family.  You spend 17-20 hours a day with the people working around you, so its hard not to get to know each other.  And like most families, there are countless stories of funny, exciting, embarrassing, and "stupid" moments, and inside jokes.  Moments like falling out of a chair in the middle of the common room (that was me), running into doors and support poles while everyone is watching you (not me...promise), or sitting in a friend's room, eating their snacks, about to talk to them, only to realize your in the wrong room!  Again, not me...I do have several stories though, mostly embarrassing, that I could share.  However, I think I'll leave you hanging and wondering....don't you hate that?!!

For the ones that were there with me, all I have to say is, Cheese Nips and Microphone...the rest of you can just wonder what happened   :-)

But how about this...next time I embarrass myself, or something really funny happens, I'll share it with you...promise!

covered by grace??

Apparently to have a blog, you have to have a blog name or a heading...and how in the world do you come up with something creative, but with meaning?  I would like to say I came up with mine because I am just that creative, cool, and "deep," but no...to be honest I was scrolling through the different fonts as I was designing my new blog, and what do you know...there really is a font called covered by grace!  

So I thought about it, moved on, went back, moved on, went back, and then paused.....(insert dramatic pause here).....covered by grace, well that definitely is me.  I'm covered by grace.  But really, what does that mean for me, what does it mean for you?  Aren't we all covered by grace...(YES would be the correct response, in case you're wondering)  But do we ever stop to think about it, realize it, accept it?  I'm covered by God's grace, whoa...that's a big deal!

2 Corinthians 12:9...go read it (its under my heading in case your Bible is MIA)

As I think about it, just in the last few weeks I have countless examples, big and small, of how God's grace really has been a covering over me.  As you may know, I've spent the last three weeks working at youth camps for middle school students, crazy at moments, but a humbling learning experience for sure.  

One weakness I truly have...ladders.  Heights really, but throw in a shaky 15 foot ladder....leads to weakness in every joint of my body.  But, I love a good challenge and building a platform for the camp program meetings requires someone to get atop a 15 ft ladder and bolt trusses together, tie curtain from dangling poles, hook up cool lights, etc.  I'm not really positive what I was thinking in the moment....but it was only by GOD'S GRACE that I climbed that ladder, multiple times and completed the task before me.  His power made perfect in my weakness.  

You may think, its just a ladder, why not let someone who's not scared get up there?  All I can say is that in the moment, I volunteered, but not me, Christ in me, to take my moment of weakness, and show His power to use a terrified gal on top of a 15 ft ladder, (no hands to hold on might I add) to teach me a lesson in His perfect grace.

So, I write to you....whoever you are reading this, we are covered by grace, even in a simple moment of bolting two pieces of steel together.  We're all weak...so what do we do?...finish the verse....

"...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 

Welcome

So I figure since everyone is doing it...why not give this blog thing a try?  I think I've realized over the last year or so, I have a really hard time keeping in touch with people.  I'm horrible at calling people, I only send necessary emails, and I stay pretty busy so good luck setting up lunch!  I do text, but how good can a conversation of shortened words and only 60 characters really be?

So, in an effort to share about what's going on in my life, and stay in touch with family, friends, and acquaintances I'm going to blog!  This is a new adventure, so let's see where it goes!....PS, I love to use exclamation points, they make things fun!!!