excitement.

it's good to know that He wants to encourage me. and too spend time with me. that's pretty exciting!

"You hear, O LORD, the desires of the afflicted; you encourage them and listen to their cry." Psalm 10:17

bees and tears

"It was the in-between time, before day leaves and night comes, a time I've never been partial to because of the sadness that lingers in the space between going and coming."
-The Secret Life of Bees

surprisingly, this sentence reminded me of coming home from camp. the hour and a half trip back to cheraw that brings dampness to my eyes, especially after spending over a month there. the in-between time brings a terrible sadness because there is nothing to do but sit in your car and reminisce about everything that has happened since the beginning of your time at camp and how quickly it has come to an end. there is nothing to distract you from your thoughts of this wonderful place and the anticipation that exist until your returning. this sadness is hard to express to a car of busy people longing to see you while you try to handle a heart longing for this place of enchantment.

competition

we should have gotten higher at lower state. that's all i have to say. but that's okay, because we all know we're beasts. ;-)

small groups

so. . i love how enthusiastic my Wednesday night small group is about reading God's word! It makes me so happy and excited.

"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!"

singing sheep

so it seems like every time i update i say something about missing camp or sumter. that's because i do all the time. I usually just don't say anything about it to people in person because i know it will drive them crazy. Since i can say whatever i want to on here i suppose i take advantage of that and go crazy about how much i miss both of those places. so obviously, i am really missing those wonderful people i know from there a whole lot!
I'm so ridiculously jealous of Andrew White. I cannot believe he got to spend his entire weekend with not only Andy Hack, but also Ashley Porter and Rachel Walton! I'm so ready to see those girls!

But this weekend certainly was a lot of fun! We had our first Bible Bowl competition this weekend. The dancing donkeys (david, leah, and grace) did really well for a group of all beginniners, winning four out of nine rounds. The singing sheep (shari and i) won seven out of nine. we also got most Christ-like team, which was pretty exhilarating! i spent the whole weekend with shari and after we got home from Concord david, shari, mrs. ruth, and i all watched moulin rouge. well, really they watched it, but i slept through most of it because Shari and i went to be really late and we had to get up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready to leave for our competition by 6:30!
but today was really nice. especially getting a chance to hang out with samuel, david, and shari playing star wars monopoly while watching star wars episode II. i don't know how we exactly got on the star wars kick. but it was fun getting to spend some time with the three of them.

but i do wish that i had gotten to spend some more time with anna grace since she was home this weekend.

missing

i miss sumter. . a lot.
I want to talk to Lindsay. I want to hear her EXCITEMENT.

broken

i would say that the Lord was a beast today, but that doesn't seem like a very appropriate word to describe his majesty with. But he was ASTOUNDING!

I cried at church tonight. I found myself completely broken for the world and it's love for sin. I just sat down on the floor and cried.

"Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you." Exodus 23:32-33

SC vs. NC. . vs. TX.? ;-)

it was good to see all of them today; lindsay, ben, andrew, hailey, alyssa, erin, elizabeth, megan, chas, uncle carol, aunt kelsey, aunt cheryl, mamama, dadadee, mr. robert, mrs. micheal. It was grand. How i miss camp and sumter.
Then ben and johnathan started arguing about north and south carolina and how much better one is over the other.
I HATE that i have a competition tomorrow.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Philipians 1:3-6

dancing

so basically we're beast and the band got first in AA at Irmo. I love Irmo, it's probably all of the juniors' favorite competition (it might have something to do with the fact that that is where our first competition ever was). But anyway, it was a magnificent day and it was so exhilarating to get first there.

Right before the awards ceremony there was a little girl probably younger than five dancing near the goal post. I'm guessing she was imagining herself as a girl in color guard dancing and doing flips even though her attempts ended with her landing on her head. But she still got up and continued to dance in front of all the people sitting in the stands awaiting the results.
It was beautiful. This picture of how we are called to be: completely willing to make fools of ourselves to the world's standards. Of course, this act of silliness is accepted when we are children, but as we grow into adults, our peers begin to judge and see right only as what is in magazines and on television. As children of God we are called to be like the little girl. Simply to step out and just perform and act for Him. No matter how horridly we may fall or fail, we have to get back up and keep dancing. As long as we seek to please our God we will never be abandoned. We must look toward the Lord to guide us and for a constant reminder that we are to glorify him through dancing for him in our daily lives.

"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation." Pslam 149:3-4