Reason #4

Driving back to Waco was such a weird feeling. The next time I come home I will have a COLLEGE DEGREE! How did this happen? This point is exactly what I have been trying to avoid for the past 4 years! Although, I am more than ready for the next adventure in my life, it is such a bittersweet feeling to be moving on.

This morning in the moving on mindset, I spent a few hours deleting all the junk on my computer that I don’t need anymore. This included a long awaited organizing of my picture folders. Yep, I’m a folder freak. Get over it. Anyways, this made me really sentimental to look back on all of the wonderful memories of college and of course some outfits where I am unsure what in the world I was thinking. This may be a little deviant from my previous countdown blog plan, but I am overwhelmed with thankfulness today for the avenues God has used to shape me throughout my college experience. I will only mention the big life changers so that you won’t leave this session hating me.

Sidenote: Please take note that I am not in any way trying to brag on myself or make the rest of you aware of how spiritual I am. Trust me, all of my friends and family would testify that I am a big work in progress!

Reason #4: Summers where God has grown me in so many ways that I will forever be changed.

Pine Cove (Summer #1 & #2)

After my freshman and sophomore years I worked as a counselor at the Bluffs Family Camp which is a part of Pine Cove Christian Camps. I absolutely loved it because of the great staff and leadership I got to spend time with, the wide range of campers I was responsible for (infants one week high school seniors the next), and the fact that I responded to the name Fake-A-Date ONLY for 2 whole summers (a story for another day). At camp I learned that sometimes God calls us to be burnt out and tired so that we will seek his face. More Jesus more sweat right? I learned that investing in the framework for a godly family makes all the difference. I also learned that God has called me to serve-- whether it was cleaning my cabin, carrying 10 bibles all day, or cleaning up after every meal, I fully grasped the concept that it is not about me! Pine Cove taught me so much and I would do a million dishes, make a trillion beds, and sing all the silly songs I could think of to do it again!

Second Half Staff 2008

Favorite Family Ever: The Hornoks

Williams Trace Baptist Church (Summer #3)

This past summer I worked at Williams Trace Baptist Church in Sugar Land, TX as a student ministry intern. Talk about a learning experience! I absolutely loved the students I worked with and for the most part my co-workers (just kidding me and Cole are friends again). This time was so much more about me learning to be myself apart from any of the things that made me comfortable. I lived with the most loving family, the Turners, and got to love on sweet baby Blake while getting away from it all with Griff and Abby. God taught me that I'm not that great. I needed to be humbled in my walk and face trials head on. I also learned that there is something so sweet in loneliness. I became so comfortable in my own skin. Most importantly God gave me great direction in what ministry will look like in my life. This summer was hard, hot, ridiculously fun, challenging, and exactly what I needed.

One of my besties for the summer: Natalie

Brenna, Kristin, and me at Camp


The sweet Turner Family

Precious Baby Blake

Hope you survived this post! See ya Friday!