summer is close to the end.
i just got home from camp two nights ago. and i meant to blog more while i was there, but didn't really have a ton of time.
i will blog soon and tell all about my trip.
basically, i am very changed.
♥
11.8.10
12.7.10
a tug at my heart.
time at camp has been so good for me.
it is exactly what i have needed.
and what God really needed me to see, was that i need to take care of my own heart, and follow it, and give God my whole heart and my whole life. EVERY single part of it.
and that is HUGE for me.
God is also teaching me about patience, loving others, and being a leader is definitely bringing lots of challenges. the constant thought in my head is that God does not give us anything we can't handle. so it has definitely been very challenging, but God is providing me with a heart that is getting through the trials he is placing in front of me.
the beginning of the summer was a little bit rough. but God made my heart stronger and made me lean on Him more than ever.
and slowly but surely He is making this summer a ton better by making me a better leader, and a better servant of Christ.
a couple days ago, family camp #4 started. my parents are here for the week and my sister surprised me and was here till this afternoon. that was a blessing to be with my whole family for a couple days.
yesterday God confirmed in my heart more about me going to mexico.
and then this morning, i had the first conversation about it with my parents, and they didn't seem surprised at all, and took it a lot better than i thought. and they also weren't surprised that i have this strong of a heart for missions and serving the rest of my life.
which made me wonder if their reaction was another confirmation in this whole thing.
and then i was talking with a camper and family friend about what i really am passionate about and where my heart is at with missions and everything and he said over and over again, "go for it no matter what. don't let anything stop you. i had a lot of dreams of doing something like that and i just sort of got sucked into the corporate world and had hopes of starting a family and stuff. but if you do it and stuff tell me and i would love to support you."
so now i already have someone that wants to support me being a missionary. this has to be a sign of this being a plan for my life.
then right after lunch, after i said goodbye to my sister before she left, my dad and i went on a walk, and got a shake together.
and talked about it all.
and he tells me to finish college and then go to mexico. and then we just contemplated so much about it.
but i definitely feel such a strong tug on my heart for ministry there. and if it isn't mexico where i am suppose to be, then wherever God leads me, i will go.
so whoever reads this, prayer for direction and God just having a stronger hold on my heart and that He would continue to prepare my heart for whatever plan he has for me. and that He would continue to challenge me and love me and fill me up with this joy that i have been continuing to have since God turned my life around in april.
God is good and ever so faithful to those that desire him as much as he desires us.
♥
it is exactly what i have needed.
and what God really needed me to see, was that i need to take care of my own heart, and follow it, and give God my whole heart and my whole life. EVERY single part of it.
and that is HUGE for me.
God is also teaching me about patience, loving others, and being a leader is definitely bringing lots of challenges. the constant thought in my head is that God does not give us anything we can't handle. so it has definitely been very challenging, but God is providing me with a heart that is getting through the trials he is placing in front of me.
the beginning of the summer was a little bit rough. but God made my heart stronger and made me lean on Him more than ever.
and slowly but surely He is making this summer a ton better by making me a better leader, and a better servant of Christ.
a couple days ago, family camp #4 started. my parents are here for the week and my sister surprised me and was here till this afternoon. that was a blessing to be with my whole family for a couple days.
yesterday God confirmed in my heart more about me going to mexico.
and then this morning, i had the first conversation about it with my parents, and they didn't seem surprised at all, and took it a lot better than i thought. and they also weren't surprised that i have this strong of a heart for missions and serving the rest of my life.
which made me wonder if their reaction was another confirmation in this whole thing.
and then i was talking with a camper and family friend about what i really am passionate about and where my heart is at with missions and everything and he said over and over again, "go for it no matter what. don't let anything stop you. i had a lot of dreams of doing something like that and i just sort of got sucked into the corporate world and had hopes of starting a family and stuff. but if you do it and stuff tell me and i would love to support you."
so now i already have someone that wants to support me being a missionary. this has to be a sign of this being a plan for my life.
then right after lunch, after i said goodbye to my sister before she left, my dad and i went on a walk, and got a shake together.
and talked about it all.
and he tells me to finish college and then go to mexico. and then we just contemplated so much about it.
but i definitely feel such a strong tug on my heart for ministry there. and if it isn't mexico where i am suppose to be, then wherever God leads me, i will go.
so whoever reads this, prayer for direction and God just having a stronger hold on my heart and that He would continue to prepare my heart for whatever plan he has for me. and that He would continue to challenge me and love me and fill me up with this joy that i have been continuing to have since God turned my life around in april.
God is good and ever so faithful to those that desire him as much as he desires us.
♥
23.6.10
ride (verb): to move along in any way; be carried or supported
went home for father's day.
and it was super fantastic.
my dad was really surprised.
a half hour before i left to head back up to wisconsin, i begged my dad to take me on a motorcycle ride.
i have been riding with my dad since i was little, and i also use to ride with my grandpa from when i was about 8 until he passed away almost 5 years ago.
there is something so great about being on the back of a harley.
its a totally different perspective of everything around you compared to being in a car shielded from what surrounds you.
and my dad and i had the best conversation ever while riding.
he said to me, "i really love that you are so passionate about taking rides with me. it helps me continue what i did with my dad."
and i said, "no problem dad. i just love it so much. its an amazing way of taking time to reflect, and just soak in life and how great God's creation is. even if we live in a fast paced suburb of chicago."
he said, "as your father, i am so proud of you for what you are doing this summer. as a fort board member, i thank you for taking your time to serve others."
i started to cry.
just being so grateful for life, and to see that the really rough childhood moments and things and struggles have taken me to this place now where all i ever want to do is love and serve and be a servant of the Lord and just do missions for the rest of my life.
and being on that harley with my dad, helped me sort of take some time to reflect and spend time with the Lord.
i will forever live to ride. and continue to live my life for the Lord and listen to his callings for my life.
one of those callings, is Mexico. i feel like i talk about it so much, but i think i do that because God has really put that on my heart.
and yesterday, was my sponsor child Dalia's 9th Birthday. and i have been sponsoring her since she was 5 months old. so you can do the math. basically her whole life. and to reflect on that just fills my heart with so much joy.
God is good. God continues to provide. and He continues to LOVE us and meet us wherever we are at.
♥
19.6.10
taking a little break.
I have been at camp for the last 3 weeks. its crazy to think that its been 3 weeks already, 2 weeks of leader training and 1 week of JV camp. and that was SUPER fun!!
I decided that I was gonna come home and surprise my dad for fathers day.
he is the best father EVER.
it is so good to relax at my home for a couple days. and then tomorrow early afternoon i am going back up to camp until the end of summer. i hope it doesn't go by too fast. and that i have the best time of my life and make so many memories.
i am so blessed to be spending the summer up there. i can't wait to get back and see all my friends, and be with the summer long leaders. i miss my roomie andrea. she is so great. and stephanie and emily. haha. love them all.
i miss my friend nicole right now though. she is just so precious to me. i am so glad we talk so much everyday.
and i am really happy with what God is showing me, the people he is putting in my life, and what he is doing in me. :]
I decided that I was gonna come home and surprise my dad for fathers day.
he is the best father EVER.
it is so good to relax at my home for a couple days. and then tomorrow early afternoon i am going back up to camp until the end of summer. i hope it doesn't go by too fast. and that i have the best time of my life and make so many memories.
i am so blessed to be spending the summer up there. i can't wait to get back and see all my friends, and be with the summer long leaders. i miss my roomie andrea. she is so great. and stephanie and emily. haha. love them all.
i miss my friend nicole right now though. she is just so precious to me. i am so glad we talk so much everyday.
and i am really happy with what God is showing me, the people he is putting in my life, and what he is doing in me. :]
5.6.10
learning is so beautiful.
summer. SUMMER. SUMMER!!!
i absolutely love summer. maybe more because i am at camp for the summer? not really sure. But i do know that God is doing amazing work in my life. And i am just super super blessed.
Right now, i am sitting in the coffee shop that i will be running for the whole summer.
Someone yesterday said to me, "it is really great to have you here. and to see where you have come from, and how you have grown, to where you are now in your life. so glad you are here, Lisa."
that just really touched my heart a ton. and made me really think of where i have been, and the tragedies i have faced and the things i have overcome. and the fact that i have overcome those things through God, and through people that have helped me along and been the encouraging and loving community i needed. I have no regrets, but i definitely know that my mistakes and trials and really rough patches in my life have made me really strong. and i feel like for the first time in my life i can stand here and say, that i feel stronger than ever before, and God is just continuing to love me and open up my eyes to the things in my life that i need to change and the things that i need to appreciate more, and he is opening my eyes up to the people i need to show love to. and i love to love others. He is showing me things in the relationships i have with others, and what i can do better, and how to love them and meet them right where they are at.
it is truely beautiful what God has been showing me. God is my strength, and the only thing I need. I am so full of his spirit, and his grace and his love. And it consumes my thoughts and my walk everyday.
Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me, loved me, and met me right where i am with open arms. I am so grateful. And God is really showing that to me, he is making my heart feel so blessed and grateful for those around me. So i thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And I give all my praise and thanks to the Lord who has been a very large part of who I am today.
I was going to update on just things about camp and such. but i sort of felt prompted to write what is really on my heart. and this was tugging at it. so updates about staff orientation and how leader training is going so far will have to come soon.
much love. ♥
i absolutely love summer. maybe more because i am at camp for the summer? not really sure. But i do know that God is doing amazing work in my life. And i am just super super blessed.
Right now, i am sitting in the coffee shop that i will be running for the whole summer.
Someone yesterday said to me, "it is really great to have you here. and to see where you have come from, and how you have grown, to where you are now in your life. so glad you are here, Lisa."
that just really touched my heart a ton. and made me really think of where i have been, and the tragedies i have faced and the things i have overcome. and the fact that i have overcome those things through God, and through people that have helped me along and been the encouraging and loving community i needed. I have no regrets, but i definitely know that my mistakes and trials and really rough patches in my life have made me really strong. and i feel like for the first time in my life i can stand here and say, that i feel stronger than ever before, and God is just continuing to love me and open up my eyes to the things in my life that i need to change and the things that i need to appreciate more, and he is opening my eyes up to the people i need to show love to. and i love to love others. He is showing me things in the relationships i have with others, and what i can do better, and how to love them and meet them right where they are at.
it is truely beautiful what God has been showing me. God is my strength, and the only thing I need. I am so full of his spirit, and his grace and his love. And it consumes my thoughts and my walk everyday.
Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me, loved me, and met me right where i am with open arms. I am so grateful. And God is really showing that to me, he is making my heart feel so blessed and grateful for those around me. So i thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And I give all my praise and thanks to the Lord who has been a very large part of who I am today.
I was going to update on just things about camp and such. but i sort of felt prompted to write what is really on my heart. and this was tugging at it. so updates about staff orientation and how leader training is going so far will have to come soon.
much love. ♥
24.5.10
change (noun):to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.
Forever Changed.
On saturday, i returned from an amazing trip to Mexico, to an orphanage that changed my life forever years ago. It was my 4th trip down there and i absolutely loved it. I sponsor a girl there, her name is Dalia. And she changed my life on my second trip there when i was in 7th grade. And I am just so blessed with the time I got to spend with her last week.
God put so much on my heart and moved mountains. The team i was with was amazing as well. we all got along so well and laughed constantly. especially towards the end of the trip. hahaha. thats another story for another time. my friend carissa and I got to sing for the last sala, people from our team spoke, we prayed the prayer with some precious people at adult outreach who are forever in my heart. and just so much more. there is so much that happened. if i told you everything on here, it would be extremely long. but i would be happy to share stories with you if you ask. This trip just really confirmed so much in my heart and was just very moving and powerful. I give all thanks to the Lord for His mighty hand and work in everything that week. He kept us safe, and didn't give us scary situations that we couldn't handle. Praise God.
On friday i leave for Fort Wilderness for the summer. It is so crazy to think that I won't be home until august 9th. I am just continuing to pray for God for this summer and the things he will do in my heart, and in the hearts of the people that i work with in the coffee shop and in the hearts of campers.
Rejoice! Amanda is getting better with fighting her disease. I just burst with tears of joy because I have a God who is faithful.
My heart goes out to the Kelley family. You guys are definitely in my prayers, and I wish I could be there this weekend for Will. Will, you fought the fight and you ran the race. Now you are in the arms of our amazing God. You will always be missed.
♥
On saturday, i returned from an amazing trip to Mexico, to an orphanage that changed my life forever years ago. It was my 4th trip down there and i absolutely loved it. I sponsor a girl there, her name is Dalia. And she changed my life on my second trip there when i was in 7th grade. And I am just so blessed with the time I got to spend with her last week.
God put so much on my heart and moved mountains. The team i was with was amazing as well. we all got along so well and laughed constantly. especially towards the end of the trip. hahaha. thats another story for another time. my friend carissa and I got to sing for the last sala, people from our team spoke, we prayed the prayer with some precious people at adult outreach who are forever in my heart. and just so much more. there is so much that happened. if i told you everything on here, it would be extremely long. but i would be happy to share stories with you if you ask. This trip just really confirmed so much in my heart and was just very moving and powerful. I give all thanks to the Lord for His mighty hand and work in everything that week. He kept us safe, and didn't give us scary situations that we couldn't handle. Praise God.
On friday i leave for Fort Wilderness for the summer. It is so crazy to think that I won't be home until august 9th. I am just continuing to pray for God for this summer and the things he will do in my heart, and in the hearts of the people that i work with in the coffee shop and in the hearts of campers.
Rejoice! Amanda is getting better with fighting her disease. I just burst with tears of joy because I have a God who is faithful.
My heart goes out to the Kelley family. You guys are definitely in my prayers, and I wish I could be there this weekend for Will. Will, you fought the fight and you ran the race. Now you are in the arms of our amazing God. You will always be missed.
♥
12.5.10
its REAL. and I am blessed.
this will be the most unorganized blog post ever. because i just need to ramble and speak whats on my heart and how God just shook up my heart in the last 10 minutes.
I am currently being blown away by God. He is so intense. he is loving. he provides. HE MEETS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS. HE IS LOVE.
I was talking with my best friend Nicole and she mentioned how my summer starts in 15 days.
15 DAYS.
WOAH. I am just in awe. Like I leave for this missions trip for mexico, in a couple days. And I am just in awe. I am this person that has sinned and is just so imperfect in so many ways and doesn't deserve at all the opportunities i am being given this summer. the opportunity to serve and just do so much is just so amazing. and i am just in awe of God being like "I choose you. to go out and love others. and serve. and do this in My name." its just CRAZY!
God just totally shook my heart when I was just realizing what i am getting the opportunity to do. and realizing that i am leaving for the summer in 15 days to SERVE THE LORD. how cool is that!?!?
God has been closer than ever the last 2 months. like i feel like i am really starting to see him, and understand him, and respond to him finally. its weird. but its GOOD.
and He is just showing me love, and grace, and mercy, and forgiveness and just teaching me so much in SO many different ways.
God is rocking my heart. and today when I felt like God was physically mountains in my heart for like 10 minutes, it is just one step closer to God preparing my heart for the summer, and just him working in my heart more and more. there is no certain number we have to get to of encounters with God or amazing moments with Him, but he is just continuing to be an amazing God in my life.
I am so blessed.
God is loving and so good that it is hard to put to words.
And I am SO in love with the Lord and what he is doing in my life.
Without the Lord I would be lost.
I am currently being blown away by God. He is so intense. he is loving. he provides. HE MEETS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS. HE IS LOVE.
I was talking with my best friend Nicole and she mentioned how my summer starts in 15 days.
15 DAYS.
WOAH. I am just in awe. Like I leave for this missions trip for mexico, in a couple days. And I am just in awe. I am this person that has sinned and is just so imperfect in so many ways and doesn't deserve at all the opportunities i am being given this summer. the opportunity to serve and just do so much is just so amazing. and i am just in awe of God being like "I choose you. to go out and love others. and serve. and do this in My name." its just CRAZY!
God just totally shook my heart when I was just realizing what i am getting the opportunity to do. and realizing that i am leaving for the summer in 15 days to SERVE THE LORD. how cool is that!?!?
God has been closer than ever the last 2 months. like i feel like i am really starting to see him, and understand him, and respond to him finally. its weird. but its GOOD.
and He is just showing me love, and grace, and mercy, and forgiveness and just teaching me so much in SO many different ways.
God is rocking my heart. and today when I felt like God was physically mountains in my heart for like 10 minutes, it is just one step closer to God preparing my heart for the summer, and just him working in my heart more and more. there is no certain number we have to get to of encounters with God or amazing moments with Him, but he is just continuing to be an amazing God in my life.
I am so blessed.
God is loving and so good that it is hard to put to words.
And I am SO in love with the Lord and what he is doing in my life.
Without the Lord I would be lost.
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