seeking balance

Everything has been so hectic this past week, I have hardly had any downtime to sit and write a blog, but I am excited to share what has been going on here in North Myrtle! We successfully finished our 'Killing the Giants' week on Saturday evening, reaching our goal of initiating conversations with over 2,000 people on the beaches, streets, and at the outdoor shopping center, Barefoot Landing. I was also able to reach my own goals for the week. I stepped out in faith, especially on Wednesday afternoon when I decided to go out sharing on my own. I felt well-prepared and decided to hit up the beach around 2:45pm after a day of work and a desire to share with the many on the beach. I was able to initiate ten conversations, and by the grace of God, I was given the opportunity to share the Gospel through the KGP (Knowing God Personally booklet) with four girls ranging from the ages of 17-20. It was exciting to challenge two high school seniors to bring the KGP's to their youth group and continue to learn to share their own faith. The other two girls I shared with were not believers, but they were still receptive to the message. I was able to give out contact information as well if these girls are ever to have questions while reading through the KGP booklets on their own again. This is just a glimpse of what we are able to do out here this summer--numerous opportunities to go out and walk up to groups of people our age and ask them about life, giving them a survey, and leading the conversation to spiritual things. It has been extremely encouraging to see God move in my heart, opening the doors of non-believer's hearts to hear His message through me.

Besides going out and sharing on my own, we are usually paired up in two's or three's to initiate with people wherever we go. This is especially important this week, as our theme is "All for One" or a week all about unity and team building. We are focusing on servanthood towards our co-workers, fellow friends, neighbors, and staff through our every move this week. A great verse to explain this duty the Lord calls us to is in Mark 9:35b which states, "'Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.'" It is clear that we must continue to serve our brothers and sisters in order to serve the Lord. We are also gearing up for "the big softball game" which will take place this Saturday. The entire staff is our opponent as we continue receiving clues as to what things will give us disadvantages (unsportsman like conduct, disrespecting the staff team spirit, wearing "staff colors" at the game, etc) and advantages (coming up with a team name, team cheers, team colors, unity, etc). We must learn that our greatness is determined by servanthood to others!



I was so thankful for TWO days off this week :) On Monday I got delicious blueberry & walnut pancakes at the Golden Griddle Pancake House with Cara & James, and headed to Starbucks for a much needed lengthy quiet time with the Lord. By the way....Praise the Lord for a Starbucks within walking distance!! Only 1.3 miles away and it is SO worth the walk :) Anyways, I had a very enjoyable few hours reading the bible, preparing for our Monday bible study, journaling, and praying for guidance. One thing I have been struggling with is how to BALANCE everything on project. The main focuses include: sharing our faith, deepening our relationships and understanding of God, unity through Christ, making new friendships, and being leaders through everything we do. I definitely want to make the most of every moment spent on project, but there is never a lack of things to do here! Please pray that I will learn to effectively balance each focus through the coming weeks.

I also forgot to mention in my last blog that we have finally chosen what "teams" we will join and eventually take over when staff leave (which is in less than 2.5 weeks! ah!). I am SO excited to be a part of the OUTREACH TEAM!! There are 13 students on this team and we will be in charge of the Tuesday Outreach Nights, and I have already had the opportunity to lead our small 20-minute preparation meeting for all students/staff before heading out to share for the night. It was a great time to step up in my leadership role (especially because I found out about this only 45 minutes prior to my 'presentation') and everything turned out great :) I am excited because I know my role in this team will continue to stretch and challenge me.

If you are in for the long haul, this blog is going to be a lengthy one!! I have so much to share!! Another awesome time I wanted to share with everyone was a divine appointment last Wednesday evening. As I finished my Date Night with Jesus, my friend Danielle met me at my coffee shop (Shaggin' Joes) and told me to come next door to the restaurant patio she had been sitting out at for her date. It turned out that two 55-year-old men had sat down with her, saw what she was doing, and wanted to be taken through the survey and KGP! How cool!!! Danielle began going through the KGP with Rick & Randy, but the conversation quickly turned into a deeper conversation. Randy claimed that he was a believer, but Rick on the other hand, was more focused on believing in science and morality. It was a GREAT discussion to stretch my knowledge about my faith. I was able to inform Rick about why "being moral" was not enough to make it to Heaven, amongst many other things that let our talk go on for about an hour. It was encouraging to see how much respect these men had for us; enough to sit down and converse with us for the time that they did. I pray that there was a seed planted and/or watered in Rick's life from that conversation.

As I continue to seek the Lord each day in my quiet times, I come across so many great bible verses! One that stuck out to me was Ephesians 5:18 which is clear in commanding being constantly and continually filled, controlled, and empowered with the Holy Spirit as a WAY OF LIFE. I love that. Choosing to lead a life that models Christ's is not a simple choice, but a way of living. I have definitely learned this year that you have to be willing to give God ALL control; surrendering everything to Him. I am completely aware that God's plans are so much better than anything I can imagine or desire for myself, and I am so thankful that He has truly changed my heart towards this. I no longer desire to control my future or plans for my life, for I know tha the Lord has something so much better in store for me!! I continue to seek discernment on what He wants me to act upon, and I am trying to learn to 'be still' and listen to His voice.

I will leave you all with a motivating verse to consider as you begin your day or enter a situation at work or anywhere where you will encounter people.

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-- how fleeting my life is...My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." --Psalm 39:4-5

I miss all of you back in the Midwest, but I really do love being out here in South Carolina, too :) Let me know if you have any questions, prayer requests, or simply want to chat with me!! Thanks for being such an awesome support-- LOVE YOU ALL!!