A christmas miracle

This time of year we either get excited about what presents are under the tree or the fact that it is Jesus' birthday. Yes, Jesus is the best present anybody could give me but that is a given. After that you ask whats next on the list. This year it was something that didn't make my christmas list. It was something I didn't think of and that money can't buy yet it warms my heart, brings a smilie to my face, and a tear to my eye quicker than anything ever could.

Many of you know that my grandfather has alzheimer's. Many of you know that it has made me grow up quicker than I ever thought in some ways. He hasn't remember who I was in years. It is a simple thing that I have come to terms with and accepted. Yet I still walk in his room holding on to a glimer of hope. There is a part of me that wants to wake up from the dream and everything go back to the way it use to be where playing spades, hearing stories from the Great Depression or WWII was a normal holiday event. For years I've held on to the slim possibility of him remembering that I was his granddaughter, his favorite, his only granddaughter just so I could see that smile and know he was as proud of me as I am of him.

Today I made a connection. The man who taught me how to swim, how to count by playing cards, how to be adventerous yet professional looked at me in the eye and called me by name. For five seconds I got my notebook moment. For five seconds it was all worth it. So today as I thank God for giving us his son, I also think Him for those five seconds where the older more appreciative version of myself could connect with my grandfather, my hero, for those fives seconds.

When the holiday is all about spending time and celebrating with friends and family. I think God for the presents He could only give me.

Reason for the Season

I've been doing this Christmas thing for 20 years now. For many of those years I've looked at the tree and thought how beautiful it is. When Christmas morning rolls around santa comes and there are presents under the tree and its all about what you got. WE don't take time to realize what we really got, JESUS. We are truely blessed with something greater than any materalistic thing that is under the tree that we will use or wear for a year or so and throw out. However, we were blessed with something that will always be there from the beginning until the end.

This season take time to look at your families and appreciate what they've done, appreciate who they are. Take the time to spend with them and love on each other. More than anything remind each other what the real reason is for the season, that Christ is born.

nothing less than random

I'm home, finally home. I can spend the day doing whatever and not worry about what test, paper, or project I have due when I get back to school. I'm finally relaxing and not worrying about whats tomorrow. Sure, I still have lots to do for my trip or next semester. I have lots of decisions to make before I get too far into next semester but for now I'm enjoying being home for the holidays. I'm enjoying where I come from and how I am the person I am.

Being home I've realized that I've become more like my parents than I ever wanted especially like my dad. I make the corny jokes, enjoy going to the movies, or looking for my next trip before I take the one planned. I've been taught to do my best and make the most of my life. I've been taught to enjoy the little things like making burbon balls with my mom, and coming up with crazy ideas that make no sense to anybody but myself. I'm having fun, and loving life, something I haven't done that much this semester.

This semester I became the kid that got their head on straight. I picked a major and went full steam ahead. I found several opportunities for internships, attempted getting a couple of jobs, turned in hang out time for volunteer time. I built my resume and yeah it might pay off but I've missed the part of me that can kick back and be the goof ball. I miss being the kid that has an idea and goes with it while everybody else stands by and says, great here we go again or hey sara, this really isn't a good idea while they hold the camera. We all know that nothing is going to stop me once I have my mind set on something and thats the way I've been with my major. Thats the way I plan to be with my new goals for the spring semester. However, I also plan on taking my time at home and abroad to rediscover the inner-child in me.

My Haibt is God

Lately all of the wrong things have been on the do to list. They have taken top priority and God is only let in when their is time. Naturally when this happens to me everything seems to go wrong. My struggles become harder to deny. My selfish and jealous feelings set in. School usually becomes a top focus especially to drown everything out. This semester it has been really easy to fill those blind spots with things that are coming in my near future like an internship or just volunteer work. I love what I do but nothing seems right without Christ at the center of it. When I was home everything felt out of sync. I've been more worried about the news I found out this summer than ever. Part of me thinks that I'm finally coming to terms with it but a bigger part of just says that I'm not fully trusting God. I know all the answers when people ask whats up or even when I talk about this, the habit is living what I know out. God will take care of me but sometimes I just need people to listen and love on me, just what we as brothers and sisters in christ are called to do.

It takes 21 days to make a habit. I'm making a life changing habit. That habit being God. Whether that is being in His word daily, praying for everything, noticing my sins and asking God for forgiveness immediately, asking Him to better me, finding ways to worship Him because this is all for Him. I know He has great plans for me as long as I trust in Him. This is me attempting as an imperfect human being to live my life fully for something greater than me, GOD.
The more I put God at the center of my life, the more everything else just falls into place.
Pray for each other, support eachother, love each other.... but more than anything make sure that the center of it all is God.

My challenge to you is to join me in making God your habit.

Grace like rain

This summer the biggest thing that has stuck with me isn't the kids, not the sports, not the songs, it's one story. I've heard it all my life but for some reason this summer stuck it in my head. Its the one about the armor of God. We talk about how we need all of the pieces to be soliders ready to go into battle. Without just one peice of the armor it is not safe for us to go into battle. If I were to go into battle today, I would end up wounded. Not dead, just wounded.

I say not dead because with God I get all eternity. I was asked today but a stranger if I died today if I knew where I was going and I answered yes, Heaven. He asked why and I answered with john 3:16. We always forget about what john 3:17 says. He doesn't want to condemn us he wants to save us. He forgives us when we screw up and we all do. God is good, God is all good all the time. No matter what we are going through and as much as we reject Him he is always there. Sometimes He is there and we love it, sometimes He's like the fly we swat at for hours but can truely never get rid of.

I feel selfish and I feel like I have not accomplished what I have wanted to accomplish. I'm not talking about building the resume. I'm not talking about pleasing others. I'm talking about pleaseing God. I feel like I could have done so much and now I'm trying to make up for it. I want to be like my grandfather who gave everything he has to make something better for other people while sharing the love of Christ. I find myself doing all these to make me into somebody but I should consider myself nothing and God everything. My job is to serve others no matter the capacity. I've been frusterated, I've been mad, I've been upset. Indirectly at God, directly with myself. I've done everything but blame myself for my failures, but from my failures I rise above and become better. I learn to use the gifts God gave me to reach a place that does not know him. I've let nobody down except myself with full knowledge that I can be better than what I am now, just a college student going through the motions.

Hear my prayer:
God make me into somebody that serves unconditionally. Let this not be my life but take my soul and make this a life pleasing to you. Live in me, live through me. Use me as a living sacrifice. Let me make no excuse. Let me stumbles become building blocks. Let the sunrise remind me of your beauty. Let the sunset remind me that your are powerful. You are almighty and nothing is better than basking in your Glory. Find me on my knees broken and hopeless without you. I may not understand, I may not agree, but you, God, you know whats right for me.

getting ahead of the game

I kind of feel like a fish out of water or a person just in over their head. Which ever one you prefer. I feel like if one thing isn't bothering me it's something else. When school slows down for just a second I flashback to whats at home and how I haven't seen it in over a month. I think how much my family needs me and how much I need them. I feel like I'm not doing enough and that I'm just away enjoying my life. Truth is I want to be home, I can't wait for Thanksgiving, I can't wait to be surrounded with those I love and that love me unconditionally. I can't wait to see the smiles, I can't wait to hear the pain, and have even more of a reason to celebrate that we can get through it together. The memories that wait with cleaning out a house that sits empty but full of stuff and memories. The hardest part is that I'm leaving my childhood and growing up to an adult.

For years I've never known what I want to do. I know that I want to be in the sports arena. I've picked a place that can get me there and it feels so right. It also scares me to death. Every where I go I here about long hours and all the work you have to put in. As I get older things that never popped into my head are starting to make an appearance. The fact that if I end up in this arena am I going to be able to have a family? Will I be able to enjoy the holidays with my friends and family or will I be forced to be at work? With everything else accounted for who says I can even have a family? Knowing that God has a plan for me doesn't settle my heart. The fear of the unknown is scary. Knowing the something is so right but not completely trusting it makes it feel so wrong.

So much is running through my head. Who is going to be around in a couple of years? What am I going to be doing? Who will I be? Am I making all the right moves and choices right now or am I looking out too much for me? My mind doesn't stop. If its not school or my friends or how to make up for the mistakes I've made its the future, its the problems I can't fix. I know I'm getting ahead of the game. I know these are questions that God already has the answers to but at the same time my heart is burrdened, hurt, and worst of all fearful.

finding what matters

AFter this summer I was high on life, high on God, and did want to do anything but glorify his kingdom. Nothing else made sense. I didn't understand why other people didn't see that and why this reality of not living every second for him was acceptable. Its called reality, where we get caught up in the things that don't matter. Those things like school, job, money, sometimes even people, or the materalistic things that don't matter. We get hurt, we question why things happen and why people do the things they do. We call people out without knowing the circumstances. We see our brothers and sisters struggling but are too scared to care. We are too worried and too caught up in our own world to see into somebody elses.

I cared about other people this summer. I care about other people now. My God is still the same God. However, I've come down from this high and am looking for the person that loved harder than I could imagine, that served according to the Word and the Word alone, that lived for the smile of an innocent child, and feared God. I'm looking for the things that matter, the people, the lost, the hurt, I'm looking to go Beyond Infinity and into the world. The hardest part is finding not who you were but you want to be.

thankful

It's been a little over a month since I've been home last. For some that seems normal but for me its not. I think it would be ok except for the fact that I know I'm not going home for another 2.5 weeks, Thanksgiving. I was driving back to my apartment last night and it just hit me. How thankful I should be for what I have and whom I've become. So many things get in the way of my gratefulness. We so often see what we don't have or see what hurts instead of what we should rejoice in. The fact that we have a God that is so merciful and full of grace. Something that we, as humans find it so hard to give. We are not God but trying to live like God is a daily struggle.

I have been worried about what was in my life and how it slowly seems to be disappearing. I've been lost in this state of confusion. I wonder why I do what I do for the people that I do it for. Then I realized that I was raised right. Although my immediate family doesn't have many rags to riches stories my family as a whole does. My mom's parents giving up everything they have, and what little they had to serve in Africa. My dad's parents serving the community around in them in more ways than I know and can explain. God has big plans for me and that scares me. He has big plans for all of us. The thing is that I just want to be half the person my ancestors have been. I want to do what God has in store for me. My prayer is that I can get past my own selfish desires and do what I love, serve. I love seeing the smile that comes from little things in life. However, I hate doing things and then being turned on. However, living a life like Christ that shouldn't bother me. My prayer is that I don't do it for me but for Christ and what that bigger picture is.

I'm thankful that my parents have let me be the person I am. I'm thankful for the hearts I've been raised around. I love my life even though it has some bumps and rocky roads. The friends that are thankful and my family that never quits, and the God that is always forgiving makes everything okay and completely worth it all.

Dear Couch

I love you, really I do. Sometimes you are too much for me. You're great when I want to relax and watch movies or football. Today however, our relationship has been too long. I'm tired of you. I know I ignored you all week because of school work but I'd really like it if you would just let me go out and enjoy my weekend. I promise I'll make it up to you. Too much time with you makes me feel lonely and left out. I don't like that feeling. We are best friends but I need socialization. I know you've had help this time with your friend sickness but you have to let go now. I'd like to go out and make memories if you wouldn't mind. Thank you.

Act

A Changing Time

This summer I feel in love with Acts. It ripped open my mind with things that needed to be done. It was a part of the Rocking of my world that God did. Acts calls us to be a body of christ, it calls us to share the gospel with everyone we come into contact with, it calls us to take care of one another and encourage each other. How much of that are we really doing? Are competeing as churches instead of working together? Don't we live in a me world? The challenging question for Christians is that if one of us loses a job and one says it is our responsiblity to take care of them so they won't lose their job or go hungry, who's with me? How many of us would say, I'm in?

This is a problem in the world is that we are worried about numbers. We are worried about who is coming in, instead of what is being learned. When I found a conflict between ministries I found competition and frusteration. What I needed to find that it didn't matter as long as they were hearing God. Thats all it matters, no matter where it may be.

We are called to Act like God did, after all you may be the only Bible some people read. When a deacon at a church worships with someone that doesn't fit the sterotype of the church crowd instead of kicking him out, it makes an impact. Who are we spending our time with? Other Christians in a comfortable world or those who are dead and need life in Christ?

What kind of impact can we make though if our fellow brothers and sisters are not there for encouragement, for fellowship, for prayer? We are a team working for God. We are no longer alive but God is alive in us. We are His hands, His feet, made to His work.

A Changing Time

Sometimes things change

Things have never been so different in my life from previous experiences. I came back from camp and didn't realize how much my life had changed. I look at everything from a different perspective. Being a part of Team 2 changed my life dramatically. Not just because of camp but because I really realized what it meant to say that God is number 1. I finally realized what it means to take the Word to all the Nations. God is a big deal. God is a savior, my savior.

I am back on campus and was excited to see everybody, excited to make a difference in freshman's lives. I had kind of built myself up over the top with reading books about discpleship and community. I ready irresisitble revolution followed by crazy love. I started thinking pretty radical and people thought I was crazy sometimes I thought I was crazy myself. I stepped back to realize that I wasn't radical, what was radical was God and His Word.

People are different, life is different, events are different, living is different, I'm different. Some things will always remain the same but passion for God and sharing His love and what He has done in your life is big, huge and the most important thing you can do. I no longer understand how people, especially people who claim to be Christians can't/don't buy into that.

Sissy

In life we run across people who make a difference in our lives or the ones around us. Sometimse we are fortunate to have these people around for long periods of time, sometimes its only for a couple of minutes. Many people have made a difference in my life, one man made a difference in my life for 4 years.

I was luck to have known Sissy. I was lucky to have been coached by him. He is a man that I respected a lot not because of his knowledge of his game but also his attitude towards the players. For four years struggled through softball. Between my coach and some of the players emotions ate at me. Sissy was the person that gave me the courage to keep going. He knew what the love of the game was and He's the one that convinced me to fight the better fight. Sissy retired my junior year but he was still around.

After being done with high school and softball for two years I still saw Sissy on occasion. When I worked at Kroger's he would come in and ask me about life and what was going on. He always had words of encouragement to offer. Before I left this summer I saw him at Walgreens two days before I left and He told me that I was going to do great things. Two days ago I saw Sissy walking down the street, this time it was just a little wave and a smile, nothing more, nothing less. Sissy made a difference and now as I sit ready to go back to school, wishing time away, living a busy life. I find that I will not longer see Sissy around or find those words of encouragement from a man of great wisdom and character.

RIP Sissy, I love you and will always miss you

Let go, Let God

Let go, Let God
Take a deep breathe, God is in control
Too bad you can't do anything about it...
These are all things I say when running into a tight conflict, problem, anything really.

I convince myself that God is control and that I can do nothing. God has it all figured it out. These are things that sometimes I believe and sometimes I would like to believe. Sometimes I find myself just wanting the geniuness and comfort of people around me. Other times nothing in the world matters as long as I know that God is on my side. Most of the time I find myself in a weird middle. Knowing what I believe and what I want to believe don't always align 100%. With life going on a million miles a minute all around me I sit back and wonder why, how, what, when, who.

Why is life going so fast?
How can I make a difference in this crazy life?
What am I suppose to do
When am I suppose to do it?
Who can help me impact a world for God that is so stricken by grief, greed, and selfishness?

Things happen that we have no control over. Problems occur and and we ask God why instead of trusting in Him. I come back from camp knowing that as a jesus follower I am gospel minded. As a Christian I am self minded. God is calling me for something great, something I'm not supposed to question but as time creeps closer the human instinct in me calls out fear, fear of what exactly to do, how to do it, and who do it with.

Impact a campus as a jesus follower,
impact a campus that sees christians as hypocrites instead of sinful people just like themselves. Proclaim His love,
Encourage fellow believers,
And live life for CHRIST no matter the cost
After all He gave the biggest cost for me, His life.

Believe it, share it.

This is me letting go of fear and letting God take the drivers seat
This is me taking a deep breathe and knowing God has it all under control
This is me saying I can't do anything, but GOD CAN DO ANYTHING THROUGH ME!

Team 2 because God is number 1

This summer led to lots of different things for me. I learned a lot, made friends and family all over the country, and played a lot of sports with kids for Jesus. I worked for Infinity Sports and made a couple of new friends in my teammates: Jessica, Kayla, Amber, Jake, Evan, and Tiffini. Although these guys were my teammates they became true brothers and sisters. We fought, poked fun, aggervaited, laughed, cried, plotted, discipled, grew together. We did life together for 8 weeks. We became the best family we could. We also all knew that all of us have given our summers to do things for God. The church in Acts talks about getting rid of everything they had to follow Jesus! We may not have given up everything but as college students we did the best with what we had. My teammates and my summer taught me a lot. The first sunday we spent together the sermon was about breaking down your walls and letting people in to see you and not the picture you had painted for everybody to see. I had been doing this with just about everybody and as my friends back very thing, my teammates had discovered the importance of it quickly.home and I were working on doing that
During our training week we got to see kids get baptised in the pool at Camp Liden. It was one of the best experiences we could have asked for. After spending a week with these kids and getting to see some of them get baptized was a beautiful thing! We all knew what were there for that summer and what could happen. We played soccer in the rain that week as a team and knew that we were all playful kids that were old enough to leave home and travel together. Nothing ever changed except our closeness.

This summer taught we what it really means to do life together. Not only can you joke around with each other but you must be encouraging to one another. We worked together, ate together, traveled together, and sometimes slept together. The only real time apart we got was in the shower. We knew what kids everybody was dealing with and the struggles that went along with it. I learned that although on campus we may do things a little differently we are still doing things for Christ and that in itself can be hard in todays world. Therefore, encouragement is HUGE!!! We must look past the jokes, the words, the acts and make our actions known and really make people wonder what is so different in ourselves. However, in today's world its hard not to do it with the support and encouragement of your fellow brothers and sisters in christ!

That brings me to another thing I learned this summer was transformation. We were in business to transform these kids life instead of conforming them to a religion. In today's society it is so easy to conform to the way people believe, the way they act, the way we do things. It's not easy to transform your life for chirst. That is our mission though and mine doesn't stop from this summer. Our team motto read: Team 2 because God is number 1! He was in control this summer and we were in business to Glorify His Kingdom!

Joshua 1:9 was my verse for this summer. It says that God is with you where ever you go. I had to trust God this summer for things to work out. I was apprehensive about spending 8 weeks with people I had never met and going into homes of people I had never met and doing some kind of mission work I had never done before. After having done it though I wouldn't change it for the world. God was with us all summer from traveling, to dealing with kids, to being tired, to the homes were walked into week after week. Once I got there there was never a question in my mind as to whether I was doing what God wanted me to do this summer! It was an overwhelming joy to know that God played a hand in my summer and in my life!

I can't tell you the joy it puts in my heart to know that there are truely Godly people out there willing to open homes when we would have no where to rest our heads. We relied on God to supply and provide and God did just that from food to kids to homes to friends. I have learned that you can go through the motions or you can put everything at the throng of God and let Him deal with it and become a Jesus Follower instead of just an oridinary world viewed Christian.

Thanks to my teammates who made my summer amazing! The people I now call family all over the US for helping me keep my lifestyle of being a kid! The growth I experienced will follow me back to school where nothing changes except my mission field will go from elementary age kids and playing sports to college age and living life. Thanks for the prayers and the support! And as we put it all summer YOU ROCK MY WORLD!....after God of course!

Who Are We

When I came home from camp people kept asking me different things. One of the questions was what did you learn at camp. I didn't realize the change that had occured had happened until I got put in different situations. I sat around and realized that as a Christian we don't tkae notice on how different we should be versus the rest of the world. However, the language we speek rather that be verbally or with body language. What makes us stand out from everybody else? When nonchristians see us what do they say? Are we prime examples of what nonchristians call hyprocrites?

I've learned that we must encourage eachother in this broken world were we are challenged day in and day out to live a life that is Christlike. God calls us to go out and make disciples. Who are we to sit and live our lives making jokes and doing things that aren't pleasing to God. We can make a huge difference in lives on our campus if we make a mission to be Christlike instead of looking out for ourselves. We must encourage one another, we must make an effort!

Who are we to take away life when God gave it to us?
Who are we to live our lives for ourselves?
Who are we to say what is right and what is wrong?
Who are we to claim to be a Christian but not show love and mercy that God showed us?
Who are we to not want to share God's love when it is the most important thing in our lives?
Who are we when we aren't who we claim to be?

This is my challenge, this my dare to you: Are you ready?

memories

The biggest and best memory of this summer is the friends I have made throughout the summer. They include my team, the other infinity team, the volunteers, and the hosts. It has truely been a summer to remember.

Liberty (Week 1)- We were together with team 1.
*There was a boy who was autistic and little things would set him off so a girl named Taylor was assigned to him. We were playing rec game and all of a sudden he took off and you hear Taylor go "Oh, thats how my sign". All week we were telling kids not to push. Naturally they asked what Taylor and this kid were doing and I respond, don't worry they are playing their own little game of tag as Taylor slightly pushes the kid to the ground behind me.

*To get to the fields we had to walk down this hill that had a rail made of wood. It was tied to 2 trees and smart me was holding on to it and who broke it, yeah me!

Alexandria (Week 2)- Crazy kids wouldn't listen but we had the best host family!

Greenwell Springs (Week 3)- We had wood floors so I slid everywhere I went. And the girls got my clothes out of my trunk and spread them throughout the house.
*STole Jakes Candy
*Intro to code blue (please ask)

Daytona (Week 4)- Ted never smelled so bad
*We attempted to take an air mattress down the stairs and it ended up in the pool.
*Hole in the wall

Nashville ( Week 5)- We are still here!
-Dolley down the hill.
-Balloon animals
-There are more than 100 Psalms!
-I-70 is odd and it runs the opposite way

Clarksville (week 6)
-Succesful air mattress down the steps
-infinity promos
-anna came to visit
-row row row your boat
- 620 field time
-My brother, Brandon
-BEST WEEK EVER

Murfreesboro (week 7)
-magical fun house filled with big screen tv, wireless, pool table, ping pong table, hot tub
-rainy days and getting soaked


There are lots of random memories that will be continued slowly. Later will bring the more serious side of the summer alongside of what to expect in the future!

This summer has been one for the record books. Today at dinner we were discussing random things that have happened. I've decided that I'm going to take Bill Cosby's old show Kids Say the Darnest things and do just from this summer. They crack me up. This week has been a good week but doing fitness with 30 something k-2 is not the funniest job I've ever had before. However, the rest of it has been fun. God is doing great work and as tired and worn out I get God still shows me what I need. Most of you know that I can have my deep spirited thoughts/conversations and God gives me those. He also allows me to relax and act like a little kid when need be.

Last week we were in Daytona running a camp for inner city kids. It was a half day camp so in the afternoon we would just go chill and do whatever. Well friday came about and we went to the beach, all great fun and all. However, that night we decided to take a air mattress that had a hole in it down a flight of steps. It's a great idea in theory, really. In the end it didn't work out to well. So we deicded to take the air mattress to the pool. That did provide some quality fun! Then we continued to light a ping pong ball on fire. We thought about lighting our shoes on fire. ( I've honestly never smelt something so horrible in my life!) We are now back in nashville and it provides a sense of comfort and home but at the same time its still camp. I don't really have much to update on. Continue to pray for me, my team, and the campers as well as our safety and endurance as we are all starting to realize that 8 weeks is a long time to be away from family and friends. I will say that I have found a new family in my teammates, the best way to describe our relationship is purely brotherly and sisterly love. Also be in prayer as we get at least one new teammate for the week next week!

It's all for Him

First off I'd like to apologize for not updating as much as I would like to. The past two weeks I haven't had internet access at all. This week it is still very limited. The past two weeks were spent in Louisana. They were completely different from the first couple of weeks. Let me just say there was a lot more of us saying sit down and listen. It was a lot rougher but God made it apparent to me that those are the kids you need to love on even more. The first week I had really gotten to know some of the kids on a more home based lifestyle. Some of the kids were military kids and lots of them were dealing with deaths of parents from cancer or other things. Needless to say it was rough and it made a lot of sense why things were harder.

The following week we were still in Louisana. This church was better, we managed to have fun even though I've never been in a more humid place in my life. The best part were our volunteers and how they were there for the kids. They were all high school kids and we really connected with them as well as the kids. Seeing where their hearts were and how we were all working for the same purpose was just an amazing thing to see. I got the opportunity to talk to one of our volunteers one on one for a little while and we were both able to share with eachother what God is doing in our lifes and what our outlook on life is. That week also had a lot of fun for us outside of camp. I have become known as the story teller of the group and they mostly revolve around pranks and my friends back home. One night when I went to get in the shower my other 3 female teammates got into my suitcase and proceeded to spread my clothes throughout the house. Don't worry I left them there for a couple of hours until they got tired of looking at them so they picked them up...haha.

We also stole of the guys candy that he left in our van. After several days of holding his candy hostage and eating it we left a scavenger hunt for him. The girls found it funny but I don't think he did. Lots of inside jokes are coming through as our team only grows closer. It's amazing to see how tightknit we have become over just a month of being together. God has blessed us in amazing ways. We are able to be ourselves and feel no shame for our past or what God has placed in our lives. We also all come from very different backgrounds which allow us to relate to so many people in so many different situations.

This week we are in Daytona working a half day camp. I know its the rough life. On Sunday we went to church and got introduced and we noticed there were several college aged kids around. Come to find out there are a ton of college aged kids from Georgia that are living here for the summer doing a variety of different things as an outreach. We got to meet them and spend time with a few. We also found out that the church was making our camp an outreach for the inner city of Daytona. I never thought of there being an inner city Daytona, but there definitley is. It is very surprising and heart breaking/warming to see these kids. Its obvious that they just want to be loved on. It makes this camp extremely different than any camp we have worked this summer, but what is life without a challenge? The ages also run from 4-16 instead of a 5-12. After the first day we could tell that God is going to use us to make a great difference in Daytona.

We had the afternoon off today which is really nice considering we don't really get time off except Saturday's to travel. We ended up going out on a boat and played with crabs, sand dollars, and sting rays. Just go with it....

Pray for safety and that we continue to impact lives through God and that He not only work in these kids lives but also in our own. Hopefully as we travel to Tennesse for the last 3 weeks of camp I'll be able to get internet back and be able to update more!

Don't ask questions about what God is doing, just do it!

Love life, Love people, Love God

week one

First off I'm sorry I haven't updated as often as I thought I was going to be able to. I've barely had time to sleep between running camp, preparing, and spending time with my host family. I don't know if I talked about Ray and Mandy but they are awesome! I love them to death. Everybody in Alabama is so nice that its a whole different experience than what I'm use to. I know you guys want the stories so here we go.

There is a little boy named Kurt that is always on the go and its great. He is so intense with everything but he is adorable. His mom sent us an email of encouragement that said he and his sister fought like cats and dogs. This week his sister decided that she was going to learn to swim so they took her swimmies off and Kurt swam ahead of her and was telling her she could do it and encouraging her. When she got to him he told her to give him a high five. Thats what he have been doing all week and his mom said that he learned it from us and saw us doing it and wanted to be like us. She said that if he gets nothing else from that, him being nice to his sister is worth everything. There are so many stories like this one. Its the little things, moms and dads telling us that we are making a difference in not only their kids lives but the lifes back home and the families. They tell us that they can't get them to shut up about bible story, not sport time or rec or anything else but bible study! How awesome is that?!?!

There is another little boy named Seth who has a form of autisum that we he doesn't understand something or do something right he runs off. Well two girls, Taylor and Anna, have been helping pretty much in charge of Seth. Well we were playing steal the bacon and seth didn't get the ball so he got mad and ran off and all of a sudden you hear Taylor go oh no thats our cue and go running through the kids. Naturally the kids ask what are they doing. The first thing that comes to my mind is oh they are playing their own game of tag, its ok. As soon as I say that you Taylor catches Seth and it looks like she pushed him down because he just falls to the ground. Mind you all week we have been telling kids that when we play tag games you can't push each other. Funniest moment of the week by far!

The church has a slide in it so we have been having fun with it and today was Jakes birthday so it was extra fun! Lots is going on, we do camp all day and come home and do 3-4 more hours of work then go to bed and do it all over again. My bible study is awesome and 4 girls stayed and talked to me about baptisim stuff and one of my boys talked to another leader about becoming a christian and questions along that line. We got to pray for a kid to accept Christ and that one kid is totally worth it! His name is Kessler. After tomorrow the teams split and we begin the real adventure! Its going to be sad, challenging, different, and good all at the same time! We also split from our second group of kids which is going to be sad and weird all over again.

the little things

In my last blog I wrote about my little buddy Will. Well yesterday we had to leave the camp that we were working. However, we got to eat lunch with the little kiddos but we got in there before the kids. When Will came in, he made it a point to find me and sit with me. How cute is that?!? Anyways we were sitting there and one of the worship guys was sitting across from us and we were talking. He said something about if he wasn't good they wouldn't want him up there doing worship. Will looked at him and said, yeah but it doesn't matter if you are good or not because you are doing it for God! Little kids rock and point out the little things and it makes my heart happy! Nothing else matters except doing your best for God, doing what He wants, and not only furthering His kingdom but glorifying it as well!

The other day something happened and I found it necessary to pull out the poop book. Some of you are reading this and going, omg she took it with her but we all know that it was expected of me! My teammates and I are getting along and I love them. Its going to be hard to leave the other team come Firday but we will enjoy the time we have now before that comes. We laugh until we cry, everytime. They've seen me cry. We have been together a week that seems like forever.

Monday starts our first official Infinity Sports Camp in Chelsea, AL. It'll be fun but its still kind of nerve racking because we've never done it the way its really supposed to be done. By the fifth week, we might, we hopefully will have a system down. At least everybody is hardworkers and do whatever we can for each other! Anyways we are staying in host homes and me and my teammate are staying with the coolest people ever! He's a funny football type of guy and shes an awesome girl. They have a little boy thats 6 but we didn't get to talk to him too much today. They remind me of my uncle and cousin. Its awesome. They have a wii that has a sword game on it and the guy, Ray is going to play me tomorrow! They have a huge flat screen and basically a man's sports room which totally fits me! Free meals, somebody to do my laundry, free showers, free place to stay, and I get to plays sports and teach their kids about Jesus. Then I get paid for that. I've got the best summer job you could ask for! Try asking me in about a 2-3 weeks...haha!

There have been downsides like us getting frusterated at each other but I'm willing to put up with it for the other things that happen in life. The coolest part about it all is that my team is just like my team of friends back at school!

A Melted Heart

Today was amazing. Lately things have been kinda crazy but today everything was worth all of it. One of our leaders, Jessica, put up papers on the wall that had stuff to pray for on it. One of them was to pray for one of the kids we had come in contact with. The little boys name popped in my head. His name is Will, so I prayed for him and that day he become my little shadow. Hes the cutest little kid! Anyways today, the day after I prayed for him, he came to me this morning and goes "Hey Sara, guess what I did last night. So I asked him what he did. He goes I decided to let Jesus into my heart last night. My heart just melted.

Later today we got to watch six kids get baptisted in the pool. It was one of the coolest things ever because that is the whole reason we are here doing what we are doing this summer! Crazy things keep happening and it just makes me all the more excited to see what will happen the rest of this summer.

Ready, Set, GO

We have finished about half of a week so far and it feels like we've been here forever! Our team has meshed so well and we have been slammed with lots of information! I haven't been this productive on consuctive days in I can't remember how long if ever, but it's all good. We have gotten our hands dirty on Monday. We have gotten to run our sport times and just have fun with eachother and the kids. I've loved it and the way things have gone have totally been a God thing!

I've been teaching football and these kids are the perfect kids to run your first camp experience with. I also have been doing some sand vball stuff and I've got a new game to teach everybody when we get back! It's called nukum.

Like I said my brain is fried and you can't think even count your fingers let alone think of something to type except that I love you guys and miss you guys! Keep praying especially as we leave on Saturday for Alabama to do our first real all out camp! Hopefully things will slow down a tad or at least we get in a flow so I can be a little more specific with whats going on!

here we go

Tomorrow is the big day. I'm nervous as all get out. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. Ive gotten emails with a little more information but I feel like I haven't done enough or haven't prepared enough. The what-ifs have entered my mind and have slightly overtaken the excitement. What if my team doesn't mesh well, what if im not good enough, what if i can't meet peoples expectations. I just keep telling myself what I tell other people. It'll be ok, it'll be an experience, it'll be an opportunity. You can't grow if you don't challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. God has it all under control but that doesn't help my fear and nerves. I'm prepared to miss home. Its a natural for me, I have an amazing home and really it only keeps getting better. My parents are amazing, I'm finally maturing enough to have the right heart when I visit my grandparents in the nursing home, I'm finally maturing enough spiritually to hold meaningful conversations with my grandparents. My neighbors are as goofy as ever and are that much more family to me than ever. Finally, I have friends close enough to home where its not work and couch in the summer. Life is good but it can always get better. There is nowhere to go but up. Its just the outlook on things.

My past has been haunting me from old friends to old coaches to old teachers. Seeing my friends shows me how I have changed. My coaches show me how capable I am to teach others and my teachers show me what I've learned and where I've come from. Past is a scary thing to come face to face with but it shows you how the present can grow you and how life can change.
"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but its all worth what comes inbetween"

MY Current prayer/ prayers requests:
God,
Thank you for everything you've put in my life. I pray that you continue to put people in my life that will bless me, strech me, and grow me. As my fears and nerves grow I know that you can calm them. Please keep me, my team, and all the people I love safe this summer, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I pray that my team meshs and loves eachother as you have taught us to love. I pray for patience for these kids and that they will hae patience with me for I'm doing something I've never done before. Give me the courage, the ability, the confidence that I can do your work and listen to what you want done this summer. Let me be the person you want me to be this summer.

Amen

A trip down memory lane

Yesterday some of my friends put together a goodbye party for me and emily. Needless to say I've got some pretty awesome friends. Not only all the kids that planned, prepare, or just show up yesterday but everywhere! I had a blast and finally felt like things were making sense. I've felt a lot of excitement, a lot of nerves, and a wonder of capability as I look into whats in store for me in this summer. Last night gave me a chance to relax and let go of that and know that no matter what happens when these 8 weeks are up I'll have made some friends but I'll also have amazing friends to come home to. For that, thank you. You guys mean the world to mean and words cannot express how much I love you all.

I was also looking through pictures in my free time at home and it reminded me of all the things I've done this semester. It started out at football games and come to be me jumping around in a sleeping bag ( a night I'll never forget), drinking red bull, jamie's apt on her birthday, watching movies until 3 in the morning, food runs, forth meal, endless games of rummy, police pulling into dojo's parking lot for bikes or for our dancing skills, the late nights staying up and talking, the raccoons aka trying to get a prank war started, and so many more. Thank you for making this year one of the best of my life!

How I Know

There is so much going on right now that my head is all over the place. I don't really know what I'm getting myself into this summer. I don't know what is expected of me. I realized that all summer I will be at the mercy of other people except when I'm running my section of camp. That kind of scares me but I know that God will take care of me and He is in control. My God is awesome like that. I'm praying that God prepares my heart for this mission I'm getting ready to embark on. Part of me is scared that I'm not prepared enough so I ask that God lay his hand on everything I do this summer. After all it is His work that He is doing through me.

Many people are still asking me how I know that this is what I am supposed to do. Like I said a lot has been going on lately and when that happens I go out and just shoot basketball in my backyard. It tends to calm me down and clear my head. I think its the fact that I don't really have to think about it. Basketball can be really black and white, the ball either goes in or it doesn't, you either dribble or you don't. When I have a basketball in my hands or any sports equipment for that matter I have this peace in my heart and everything seems right, it has been that way ever since I was little. Sports were my outlet and at times my lifeline. Life made sense in athletics. So when people ask how I know, I just do. Sports have been my life ever since I was little, when I depended on them life was ok but losing them allowed me to really find God. When I came back to sports that passion and feeling was still there. God has blessed my life with sports and its only right that I give back to Him through that. Plus I get to travel, get paid, and meet all kinds of new people, God is good. period.


Another little thing I was thinking about tonight as the sun set and the night arrived. I started thinking about all my friends and the things we are going to be doing this summer, camps, abroad, church planting, or just hanging out around town. I love these guys more than they know and I miss them dearly. I know its going to be hard to stay in contact but I started praying tonight when the moon appeared. Then it dawned on me that no matter how far away we are from each other when we go outside at night and look in the sky, we are all looking at the same moon. It's awesome really, how God's creation can put us at such different sports but gives us a way to connect. So if you are ever feeling lonely go out and look at the moon and know that there are people literally all over the world that are praying for you and thinking about you!

The Beginning

Summer has officially started. Yeah, I'm sitting around Bowling Green just enjoying the last of the days before we all leave for our summer. A lot of us are doing completely different things, I am doing something completely different from what I have ever done in my life. I am going to travel across the south and east part of our country. A part of our country I have seen but never experienced like I am going to this summer. I am going to be working a sports camp that is based on Christianity. Not only will I be playing sports with little kids but I'll sharing Jesus. This excites me and also scares the crap out of me. I don't really know anything else except that it's going to be the biggest test of trusting in the Lord I have ever experience. Get ready!

This is a goal of not only working with Infinity Sports but taking what I have and extending it beyond just what I do this summer.