Week 7.

This week has been crazy trying to see family and friends, going to graduation parties, and preparing for Africa. It's been a good crazy week. Although I can name TONS of things that I am thankful for this week, I've got to dedicate this blog post to one specific place: Camp High 
Harbour.

Some of you are just going to go ahead and stop reading and others of you just got so giddy. You either love it or hate it.  When it comes down to it, those who hate it are really just jealous. All of us "camp kids" have inside jokes about the Spirit Stick (notice the capitalization...it's THAT important), memory lessons, good PJ's and EJ's, Lake Burton Grocery, COW songs, and of course RVing on the BT. Hate it if you want to, but as for me love is an understatement. 

It seems like yesterday that Savannah Hodge and I loaded up our sticker covered trunks onto our pontoon boat and made our very first trip to the beautiful waterfront of High Harbour. As 7 year old Cabin Sunshine campers, we had no idea just how much this place would mean to us.


We made our way from the air conditioned Cabin Sunshine, spent two years in "haunted" Cabin 1, rounded out our time as pathfinders in Cabin 2, and moved on to bigger and better things in Watersports and Trailblazers. Our moms thought we were crazy when we asked to spend more than a week at camp as 10 year olds. But it wasn't us that were crazy. It was camp that was crazy. And we loved it.

I can't even begin to describe what makes camp so crazy awesome. It could be the Malibu boats that we get to go wakeboarding and bunbusting on every single day. It could be jumping and singing to "Prince of Peace" on repeat for 10 minutes straight without a break. It could the joy of every Wednesday's ADVENTURE DAY complete with a coke and a candy bar. It could be the competition for the Spirit Stick whether that's painting up at every event we go to, screaming our lungs out before meals, spending too much money on bribes, or waking up at 6AM only to make all of our campers jump in the lake. It could be the delicious dining hall meals, especially the taco salad and cinnamon toast. It could be a lot of things and I think it is, but the main thing that makes Camp High Harbour so crazy awesome is the people.


Little did I know that I would meet some of my biggest role models, mentors, bridesmaids, and best friends at camp. Where do I even start? Two words: DYKE SQUAD. No, we did not come up with the name. It evolved from the "bros" realizing our obsession for each other. We couldn't deny it. They were right.


It all started when I called Savannah on the phone in my playhouse when I was two years old. We were attached at the hip. Fast forward 18 years later and not much has changed. There was no way we were not going to camp together. You couldn't split us up even if you tried. After a few great years, Savannah and I, feeling adventurous, decided to leave the not so adventurous side of pathfinders and join the best side of camp: Watersports and Trailblazers.

 I remember our first day in Watersports like it was yesterday. We didn't fit in with anyone in the cabin. We wanted to go back to pathfinders. Then the carry over campers from the week before returned. One blonde girl walks into the cabin with the biggest smile on her face, enthusiastically says hello to the 10 unfamiliar faces staring at her, gives the counselors the biggest hugs, and then introduces herself as Brittany Longosz. We thought she was the coolest. Savannah and I instantly knew we had no chance at winning "Camper of the Week." By the end of the week we realized that the friendship between the three of us was not about to end. 

On closing day of session 7, Savannah and I hiked our trunks up Kill Hill to the world of Trailblazers in the gym. Sad about leaving Brittany and life in Watersports, we were terrified about not knowing anyone in our new cabin. We joined a cabin full of the typical campers who were too excited for their own good. Realizing we were nervous, this calm yet bubbly blonde reassures us that the life of a 'blazer was the best. Kate Rounds, the bubbly girl that made us feel at home on our first day, ended up being our best friend by the end of the week. Naturally.

Friday night of session 8 rolled around and Savannah, Kate and I were enjoying our last night as trailblazers. We ran into Brittany and her cool new Watersports friends in the middle of the dance and you would've thought that we hadn't seen each other in years. It was extremely dramatic and completely necessary. We introduced Britt to Kate and Britt introduced us to Caroline Young, her new best friend. We hardly even knew each other, but the level of obsession was high and it has yet to decrease. 

We were the "Fantastic 5" and there was no possible way that anyone was cool enough to join our group of friends. Then we met Margaret Story and everything changed. Miss priss ended up being in our LIT group 7-9. Everyone loved her- from the Cabin 8 guy counselors to our LIT PD's. Leader In Training year was one of the hardest years at camp, but it was also my favorite year and I have these girls to thank for that.

The six of us made it past LIT year and we were big, bad Counselors In Training and we thought we were the cream of the crop. On the first day we were greeted by the biggest smile and sweetest personality. We knew this girl wasn't a Burton girl. For some reason, the Lord moved Shannon Dooley from her home at Rabun Gap to the better site at Burton and we are SO glad He did. 

There you have it. The Dyke Squad. It's hard to believe that it's been six years since the first time I met these girls. I love that it's been that long and I can say without a doubt in my mind that they are some of my best friends. We have a Facebook thread that's been going on for about four years now called "Marge's no good very bad day." I think that sums up our friendship perfectly.

It doesn't stop there though.


As the years at camp went on, the relationships at camp were much bigger than the silly group name of the Dyke Squad. Around our assistant counselor year, the guys finally started hanging out with us. Thank the Lord. As fratty and ridiculous as they are, they became our best friends. These friendships go way past the gate of Camp High Harbour. The group kept multiplying and as cheesy as it sounds, we became a family. We have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. We have been through the hardest times and some of the best times. We have fought over the Spirit Stick, shared tears about family problems, rejoiced with college acceptances, spent numerous nights at Ryan's cabin, and celebrated UGA victories and it will only continue.

I am thankful. I am thankful for camp friends. I am thankful for divine appointments. I am thankful for a boss that cares about his staff. I am thankful for the 14 summers I spent at camp.

It's hard to believe that this summer will be my first summer since I was seven years old not going to camp. Am I sad? Extremely. But the memories trump the sadness any day. The Lord has used camp to shape me into the person I am today. There is no chance that I will forget about my times at camp. The memories and friendships that I have because of camp go with me wherever I go.

On May 25, Shannon will be in South Africa, Brittany will start nursing school in Tuscaloosa, Margaret will hold down the fort in Athens, Kate will be playing her role of "Momma Bear" in Suwanne, I will jet  off to Africa, and Savannah and Caroline will head up to Camp to help change the lives of campers who have no idea just how much their time at camp will eventually mean to them. 

Week 6.

Life is crazy. Exams, school ending, saying goodbyes, leaving for Africa...it's all happening so fast. In the midst of chaos, the Lord has been teaching me so much and I can only be thankful. 

[5] Journey 2011.
This summer I will be spending 8 weeks in Kenya with a group of about 20 people that I have never met. The Lord is about strip me of so many things. He's been preparing my heart for this all year. It's going to be hard. I'm going to have to learn how to fully rely Jesus. Completely. I'm going to have to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that it drowns out all of my desires for things back home. My world is about to be ROCKED by Jesus. I couldn't be more ready!

Can't wait to love on these kids. 

[4] Emily Hunt Carswell.
Sista friend here is a SHINING STAR. Emmy made her debut this weekend as the baker's wife in the play, "Into the Woods." She rocked it. Emmy had a solo and everything, big deal...I know. I was literally in awe as I watched my baby sister, who is now 18, go on stage with so much confidence and nail her character. After all of these years of her older siblings not being supportive of her "acting career," she proved all of us wrong in one night. I am so thankful for my diva sister- on and off the stage. I am one proud big sister! 

I think it's obvious who got the pretty genes in the family. 

[3] Apartment 120.
To Catherine Cave, Leah Schroepfer, and Sarah Butts: I cannot believe this year has come to an end. Although we have had our fair share of power outages, broken sinks, and squeaky floors...we survived. It was such a blessing living with the three of you. I couldn't have imagined it going any better. I love that it was completely the Lord who put the four of us together. Thank you for the random treats on my bedside table, cooking me cinnamon rolls for breakfast, listening to me complain, putting up with my mess, and always being there. I am going to miss living with you three SO much, but I'm positive that it doesn't end here. 

Leah, me, Sarah, and Catherine. 

[2] The Master Plan of Evangelism.  
I'm not even going to say anything. Just buy it. Read it. Open your heart to Jesus and how He wants to use you. Surrender. You will be amazed. Major props to Robert E. Coleman. 

[1] Adventures. 
I could go on and on about this. Seriously. It's been so cool to see how everyone's summer plans have come together perfectly. We always freak out about how we're going to spend our summers and the Lord just sits there and laughs at us because He's had a plan this whole time and you bet your bottom dollar it's perfect. So many people are going on crazy cool adventures this summer. SO MANY PEOPLE. It's still crazy to me that the Lord is using us, tiny little human beings who don't have a clue, to go make His name known and share the good news to ALL nations. I chose this as one of my 5 things this week for multiple reasons: #1- JESUS IS SO FREAKING GOOD. He is sending us out! He is using us! I get so pumped up. My heart is SO FULL OF JOY! #2- I want to brag on my friends for being OBEDIENT. #3- They need prayers!!!! We've got to come together and be prayer warriors for them as they GO! 


Okay- I just picked 5 random people to put on here so if you're not on here, it's not because I don't love you. I literally had to close my eyes and chose people. I'm surrounded my SO many encouraging/awesome people in my life that it's so hard to pick only a few.

Sarah Smythe: room leader at Beach Project in Destin, FL all summer. One of the most encouraging people I've ever met. She has been chosen for this position and is FULLY ready and equipped to lead a group of girls even though she thinks otherwise. Jesus shines through her. I am so confident that she is going to be an amazing job this summer. Pump me up, Sarah!! 

Payton Agan: New Orientation Leader for Samford University. He gets to welcome the new freshman class of about 900 students to campus. Not only does he get to teach them all about their freshman year and all the joys that come along with that, but he gets to teach them about Jesus as well and I know his words and actions will do just that. 

Milcah Kirubel: She was chosen as a team member for Campus Outreach's CCP to THAILAND! Milcah's light is one of a kind and I'm so positive that the people of Thailand will see that this summer. Christianity represents 1% of the population of Thailand. I get giddy thinking about how much the Lord is going to use Milcah and her team to reach the lost! The Lord's faithfulness has been so evident in Milcah's story and I could not be more excited that He chose her to go to Thailand this summer!

Brittany Longosz: What a unique opportunity Brittany has been given! Britt will start her first semester of nursing school this summer in Tuscaloosa, AL. Not only will Brittany get the chance to invest SO much in the people she is surrounded by in class all day everyday, but she also gets to be a part of the restoration of Tuscaloosa. If you asked Brittany last summer if these were her plans for this summer she would say HECK NO, but the Lord's plans are so much greater and Britt is quickly learning that and will continue to this summer.

 Augusta Clark: She is literally living her dream life right now pretending to be just another "gator" with UF's Cru living in Paris, France for 5 weeks. The Lord took Augusta way out of her comfort zone of Samford University and threw her into a group of people she didn't know in a foreign country only to make His name known and to share His love. Augusta's obedience to her call has rewarded her with great success on her trip so far. Every time I talk to her about how things are going, she responds with, "God is so good." Yes, yes He is.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

John 14:27

Week 5.

Okay, I'm back on track. Sorry I didn't blog last week, but I figured because I did 10 things the week before that it wasn't necessary to do 5 more. 


[1] God's sovereignty.
It's been a crazy past couple of weeks in the state of Alabama. In the midst of all of the brokenness, darkness, and complete chaos caused by the tornadoes, God is wise. God is good. God knows best. God is in control. God is sovereign. Even over the 300 tornadoes that tore through the south. Platt gave an awesome sermon last week and spoke out of the book of Job. Awesome book...you should go read it. Job's response to tragedy was "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21) These tornadoes remind us of the sovereignty of our God. I also had the opportunity to serve in Pratt City, a suburb 10 minutes away from Samford that got hit badly by the tornadoes. I was overwhelmed by the amount of volunteers and donations. In all of this, God is being glorified. That's why I'm thankful.  

[pratt city, alabama]

 [so many donations. so awesome.]

[2] Momma C.
In honor of mothers day, I couldn't help but add my mom to this list. Gosh, I can't even describe this woman. First off, she is beautiful. I wish I looked more like her. She has the biggest servant heart and is insanely selfless. She's been through her fair share of hard times, but you would never be able to tell because of her love for life, love for others, and love for God. Mom- Nothing you do goes unnoticed. I will never be able to repay you or thank you enough for everything you have done for me and the other three kiddos. You have made me who I am today. I can only hope that I am a quarter of the kind of mother to my kids as you are to us. I love you so much. Saying that I am thankful for you doesn't even begin to describe how appreciative I am. 

 [above: 2007]

[below: 2011]

[3] Adam Kersh's music.
If you haven't heard of Adam Kersh, you are seriously missing out. Adam is one talented guy and he happens to be one of my very good friends from home. Adam has a ridiculous love for Jesus and one of the many ways he shares that love with others is through music. Out of all of the musicians in the whole entire world, Adam is definitely in my top 3. I'm not just saying that because Adam is my friend, I'm saying that because I mean it. Unfortunately, Adam does not have a CD out even though he should have at least 9 out by now. Anyways, I always go on YouTube to listen to him, but I can only listen to him when I have a computer. This week I found an awesome website that turns YouTube videos into MP3's. Now I have Adam Kersh on my iPod. Dream life. Thankful for this guy. Especially this week. 

[above: picture by Amanda Woodall. Check her out!]

[below: at the brook fraser concert]

Listen to Adam!

My favorite.

[4] Hannah Leigh Hatterick.
The past couple of weeks Hannah and I have been reading the book of Galatians together. The Lord has revealed to us so many things through His word and through each other. It's been the coolest opportunity to sit down and dive into the Word together. Hannah's eagerness to learn more about Jesus fires me up every single time I talk to her. As we were studying, Hannah and I came to this awesome conclusion. We die to ourselves only with and through Christ because only He has conquered the sin that makes us dead. Insane! We were freaking out and still kind of are because JESUS IS ALIVE and so is His Word! Thank you so so much, Jesus. And thank you Hannah for being my twin. 

[above: we're the same person.]

[below: bid day. it was love at first sight.]

[5] Chi Omega. 
I don't want to be THAT sorority girl and ramble on and on about how awesome my sorority is and cliche stuff like that, BUT I have to for just a second. I am so incredibly blessed by these girls. This week was our last week of chapter which means it was senior night. The seniors went around and gave different pieces of advice to the younger girls and then continued to read their senior wills. I've never a left something a gathering so encouraged before. Goodness gracious, the girls LOVE Jesus. Almost every single one of the seniors advice was to not lose sight of Him. The cool thing is that they didn't even have to say that for all of the younger girls to know where their hearts are. Their actions show it. I really do thank the Lord every single day for letting me be apart of such an incredible group of women. 

[above: my awesome pledge class.]

[below: my chi o family. the best one around.]

Week 4. Easter Edition.

Friends,
The Lord is so good. Always. Every. Single. Day. Goodness gracious. I can't get enough. As I sit here and think about this past week, I realize that there is no possible way that I can pick only 5 things that I'm thankful for. It's too hard. So because of this glorious day, I decided to double it. So excuse me if I'm boring you all with 10 things, but it's necessary.


My heart is abundantly joyful today. More so than I think it has ever been. I owe it ALL to Jesus. On Thursday night I had the awesome privilege of sharing the story of the resurrection with my high school friends at Mountain Brook. As I was reading the Word, the Lord told me that I needed to talk about 1 Corinthians 15. I'm not going to go on a rant, but I just want to share this verse with you guys:


"For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." [1 Corinthians 15:16-17]


Back up and read it again. HOLY COW. If Christ has not been raised, our faith is FUTILE. It is COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. It serves no useful purpose. If Christ has not been raised, we are still in our sins. We are slaves to sin.


BUT (wow, what a powerful word.)


HE IS RISEN. (Luke 24:6)
WE ARE FREE. (Romans 6:17-18)
HE IS ALIVE. (Romans 6:8-11)
WE ARE BORN AGAIN. (1 Corinthians 15:22/ 1 Peter 1:3)
HE IS COMING BACK TO SAVE US. (1 Corinthians 15:23-24)


With that being said, I am FULL OF THANKFULNESS. Overflowing, actually.  


[10] JESUS.
No words. Just greatness. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

[9] Family.
There's nothing like it. Because we don't get to spend as much time together as we would like, due to everyone living in different states, our time together now is so precious. I love how the story of the Lord's redemption is represented in my family. It's so so so cool. These people are crazy cool. Every single one of them. From the fourteen year old John to 88 year old Bandaddy. I'm so thankful I got to spend all of Easter with them. 

[the 7 grandchildren with Meme & Bandaddy]

 [the girls: louisa, emmy, me, and lydiann.]

[the boys: rand, john, and haughton.]

[8] Campus Wide Worship.
I've never experienced anything like this before. The Samford University student body coming together as the body of Christ solely to worship and praise Jesus. My sweet friend, Lauren Barry, had the idea and made it happen to make the name of Jesus known. The Spirit MOVED on Wednesday night in Reid Chapel. I am so thankful the Lord allowed me to be a small part of a HUGE movement. 

[7] Darby Sullivan Thompson.
When Darby moved to Gainesville in 8th grade from the small town of Vidalia, I did not like her one bit. You want to know why? She had it all. Everyone immediately loved her. I was jealous. Good thing high school came and I matured a little bit. Now Darby is my absolute best friend. Crazy how things change, huh? Even though it was a short amount of time, I am SO thankful I got to spend time with Darb. We went to Chili's and got a molten, naturally, and talked about Jesus, South Africa, family, and everything in between. My favorite thing about Darby is her optimism. She is full of it regardless of what is going on in her life. Thank you Lord for this friendship. 

[6] Studying With Mom.
Saturday morning I got to study the Word of God with my mom. Double whammy, am I right? We studied chapters 5 and 6 of Galatians. My mom has so much wisdom, which was pouring out as we read together. It was such a neat experience. I am so thankful that I have a mom who wants to dive into scripture. 

[my gorgeous mother.]

[5] MBHSYLT.
I can't say enough about these people. They are the most energetic, encouraging, loving, awkward, selfless, determined group of people I have ever been around. Thursday night we had our normal night of club, but it was different for me. I was nervous about speaking, exhausted from the day, and YL club was the last place I wanted to be. When I arrived at club I was greeted by big smiles, corny jokes, and hugs. They asked me how my talk was going and told me they were excited to hear me speak. They prayed for me and continued to encourage me. They did it without even trying to. It was just the outpour of Jesus in their hearts. I am so thankful I get to hang out with these crazy kids every Thursday night. 

[claire cole, danny price, jeff vincent, hardy reynolds, me, and jennifer taylor.] 

[not pictured: andrew dann and lauren strickland.]

[we miss you elise.]

[4] Home Sweet Home.
Gainesville, Georgia. Sweet tea. Back porch. Momma's cooking. My own bed. Family. Friends. Sunshine. Lake. No schedule. Relaxation. Nothing else to say. I'm thankful for a weekend of rejuvenation at home. 

 [there's no place like home.]

[where i spend all of my time. the back porch.]

[3] Bible Study.
On Wednesday night we all went over to Stephanie's for a night of spaghetti and fellowship. This group of girls is becoming way more than just a Bible study group. They are becoming my community. A community that I can be transparent with and they will appreciate me for that. A community that is full of accountability and people who care about my relationship with the Lord. My time spent in the Word with this group of girls has been one of my favorite things about this semester. I'm thankful for this specific group of girls that the Lord has put into my life at this very moment. And I'm thankful for spaghetti. 

 [#Kendall?]

[2] Emily Grace Griesbeck. 
Wednesday morning breakfast club with Emily is the highlight of my week every week. Thankfully, that is not the only time we hang out during the week. Although Emily is extremely busy with nursing school, she is still so extremely intentional not only to me but to everyone in her life. I think that describes Emily perfectly. She is a selfless disciple maker. She cares enough to talk to people and not only ask them how their day is but also how she can pray for them. She is constantly pouring out and encouraging others. She is completely sold out to making the name of Jesus known. She does it in every conversation. Thank you Jesus for Emily's accountability, her boldness, and her heart. 

[1] The Word of God.
You can easily go out to any bookstore and buy a Bible...the VERY word of God. How stinking lucky are we? Lately, I've been so hungry for the Word. I just want to eat it all up. It's SO good. For Easter, my mom gave my the ESV Study Bible. Words can't explain my excitement! I'm so thankful that I get to study the Word of God whenever the heck I want. 

"For the mouth speaks whatever the heart is full of."

[Luke 6:45]