Here are a few of the things I've been doin':
Rocking out at Creation Fest with mah girls, Susan and Carolyn! For the 3rd time (and the first in several years), I made the trip to Agape Farm, deep in the heart of Pennsylvania. Haaha....sounds like a commercial...but seriously, this place is GORGEOUS. We were blessed in being filled by the insights and passionate hearts of so many speakers and musical artists (Lecrae, Relient K, Casting Crowns, David Crowder, Third Day, Kutless, Red, Family Force 5, Needtobreathe, etc...), but I feel as though God spoke just as much through the beauty of Creation all around us. There was a halo of fog around the mountain tops each morning that quickly gave way to sheer green bliss. Green!! ALL GREEN!!! It was incredible!!! There is something SO special about worshiping our Father with thousands of others who love Him. It is so strengthening,
Working on a couple of homes in Red Bird, Kentucky. For the 4th time I returned to the hollers of Kentucky with my home church--I keep being drawn back there for some reason. It's the place where I first truly realized what I believe God has called me to--missions, sacrificially loving--in those quiet, beautiful hills. This year, we worked on two houses: one for a man named Ricky, and one for a woman named Mary. They were wonderful. As I've said several times before, I really feel that the poor know God. They are just SOO humble, so honest, so broken before him. Ricky shared story after story with me about how he had once been quite the son of a gun. He drag raced, held cock fights, and drank every night. He said somewhere along the road he was just too weak to keep living like that. Now, he lives a simple life, surrounded by the few people he knows and loves (his wife lives in the trailer next door--they love each other, but say they just can't stand living together!). We didn't get to meet Mary, because she was in the hospital, but we did meet her son (he's about 40). He was silent most of the time (maybe scared of us?), but he watched us work from his chair. We sang for him one day, and that put a little smile on his face--but it was the last day when he finally opened up. After we had successfully completed the wheelchair ramp and had hung a house-warming gift on the porch, we prayed in a circle. Tony broke. Tears of gratitude flooded his eyes and fell from his cheeks. It was beautiful. It was divine. That's what draws me back. God moves there....We also had a TON of FUNNNN!!!! I LOVED hangin' out with the gals down there--eating microwave s'mores with peanut butter (frickin' yum), singing 'till we couldn't sing anymore, and laughing our butts off over everything...EVERYTHING. It was also great to have my dad and all 3 of my brothers on the trip! :)
Playing and watching lots and lots o' ultimate frisbee! Yeeuh!
Witnessing men in kilts. The millionth annual Highland Games and Scottish Festival was held in July--mah daddy worked long and hard on it, and it was fabulous. :)
Witnessing marriage. :)
Spending some awesome quality time with mi familia!! It was sooo sweet to spend the summer with them, despite all of our busy, busy schedules. There is just something so special about waking up to sounds of dishes clanging--just as always--and about being in a place with so many stories, so much support, and great big love.
Hanging out with my friends. Some highlights include: Bonfires, barn parties, trips to McDonald's at 3 am, mammoth muffins at Perkins, sitting through The West Wing, hot tubbin', Presque Isle +volleyball+Sara's days, frisbee, the Jamestown cemetery, playing Tiger Woods and made-up card games at Birch & Donkey's apartment, visiting J at the beach, Kent, and visiting Morgantown. :) It was so awesome. 'Nuff said.
No comments:
Post a Comment