2 weeks have come & gone...

it's been challenging to even find the time to get on here. i love the busyness of this ministry & social life i've got going on. the corn maze is over. clean up done. snow fallen. outdoor ed groups slowed down. we have been having some more 'down-time' but still always busy. it has been neat to learn from some of the full time staffers. the history of the ranch is beautiful to uncover & discuss. we are so grateful to be at the point along the time line in which we can enjoy the fruits of others' labor while being encouraged to devote passion & time in order to maintain & thrive-- all through the Lord's strength & for His glory. Tom Bissett described this period in our history as a 'tough year'. i have found much encouragement from such great saints in our legacy of faith which could not be shaken no matter the challenges. 'Where God guides, He provides.'
enjoyed a great time in lynchburg, va a few weekends back. such a beautiful area. such beautiful people all hanging out together. i love sports games in the fall/winter. i had the awesome surprise of a phone call all the way from china-land. olivia dolph rocks. i love being around great people that don't need anything more than good conversation, lots of laughing, & hugs. fun comes easy when you're laid back =)
recently enjoyed some yummy dinners at others homes. that's my favorite-- chill, comfy, community. also had a fun time taking marla & abby to see high school musical 3 with katie. bible study with the girls has been a refreshing addition to the week. mostly i hate that i always get sick this time of year, but also mostly the snow is worth it. just when the beautiful crunchy leaves are gone, snow takes up residence. yesss. i can't wait for a blizzard.
we've been working on a skit/drama for winter meltdown. we also performed it at grace bible church this past sunday. they had a special day for us & really made us feel their strong support & great appreciation. the body of Christ is so beautiful.
still loving time with the awesome people in these parts. eager to see the Lord's direction & design for the future. excited for going home tomorrow & bringing katie along!
hope y'all enjoy this season of thankfulness & giving.

oh an update...update yo...updatio...

so its been quite a while. surprise, here i am!
-corn maze craziness is over. it has by far been my very favorite part of RVR this time of year. the retreat schedule worked out that i was able to work every weekend of maizefest. the beauty of these hills this time of year is breath-taking, mind-blowing (kinda weird descriptors, eh). so many colors woven throughout the mountains & valleys visible across the crisp, clear autumn air. i love it.
-catered a reception for a Halloween reception. interesting. beautiful. funtastic.
-been so super blessed with awesome people in these parts. each family at the ranch is so neat. it has been so nice getting to know them, enjoy their generosity, & serve alongside of them. the Lord is showing me His grace through these families & other great people in the area. what a great encouragement. & of course it comforts my mama knowing they are there for her girl.
-this past week i enjoyed some exceptionally excellent adventures: girl time, outings, time with the families, working out... & our intern adventures! we had some day trips this past week--canoed the gunpowder (11ish miles), rock climbed at earthtreks, & hiked the appalachian trail (9ish miles). katie & i planned the meals/snacks which was an adventure in itself especially due to the current economics. everything came together & we all had such a great time together out & about.
-i worked the retreat this weekend. served meals=100+ happy men. they were pals. my workeds for the weekend done good. we had a couch burning bonfire one night thanks to zack.
-been appreciated the Lord's teaching & working in, around, & through me. very grateful for how evident it has been these days. been disgusted by the filth of my depraved human nature but immediately filled with joy & hope... throughout my reading & thoughts i keep hearing over & over "but Christ"... praise Him for radically directing & absorbing God's justice in His great love. it has been awesome to be surrounded (both literally & figuratively) by brothers & sisters who support, listen, encourage, challenge, rejoice, pray, serve, & love with me. the network the Lord has blessed me with comforts me in this time i know the Lord has brought me to. it's exciting to know He has placed me here in this moment, is with me in it, & is displaying His power--ultimately good for all. oh to have the confidence & assurance of David & Paul in God's control & perfect will. how grateful i am for His grace to meet me where i'm at, where He has brought me, that His power may rock this world.

i love you.

i love firsts. todays:

-trip planning
-awesome conversation with Tom Bisset
-castration stories from Morgan
-long john dance party
-snow fall of winter 2008 =)
-trunk or treat

familiar faces visit =)

visit from the home girls: mama, kaity & junie was a great part of my birthday weekend (with michele too!)



andrew & deanna came for our 2nd annual amazing corn adventures. so fun!



i'm now winterized thanks to dave's delivery service. thanks for stopping by & the coffee!

dancing all over the line...

to steal the eloquent words of Colin Powell:

"...we've got two individuals. Either one of them could be a good president, but which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities – and we have to take that into account – as well as his substance – he has both style and substance – he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president.

I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the ... onto the world stage and on the American stage and for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

please continue to join me in prayer regarding the upcoming elections & the state of our nation.

wicked wonderful weekend

after a busy week i was able to get friday morning off. it was so nice to sleep in before going into a crazy busy weekend. worked on getting the ranch ready for the group until they got here. this time i was a support host for the one & only zack smith. i would so give him a 10 in a review. he did an awesome job of educating me as he showed me how to totally rock as hosting. we pretty much just did everything together. he knew what/how to do it all & we just worked at it all together. i can't brag on him or me too much but at the end of the weekend the group leader's eval gave us a rave review... something along the lines of appreciating the great display of servitude... none of the credit belongs to either of us b/c it was honestly the Lord working through the position/opportunity He provided for us. i was seriously blown away & excited over & over throughout the weekend. i have been curious about how the passions He has revealed might fit together in the future. this weekend i was reminded about the fact that this moment in my life right now is just as significant as whatever might come after this year. this weekend so just served to feed into my love for this opportunity to serve in the ministry of the ranch. i have loved the experience of outreach to each group that comes in. the diversity of the groups has been so fun. i just love cultures! the group this weekend was from inner city Baltimore. this weekend symbolized the wedding of the passions i have for the outdoors, the city & people. it shouldn't surprise me that the passions God has given me can & will come together in ways i don't even know yet. i loved observing & interacting with the youth & leaders. they were on their first ever retreat... out in the middle of no where. experiencing so many firsts: gazing at more stars than they ever realized existed, horse rides, (purposeful, just for fun) bonfires, hiking, paintball... my all time favorite times along these lines was the dodgeball tournament & snack shop. watching them have so much fun being kids, working/competing together, dancing with skill, & of course belting it out... to the player piano! it was such a hit. it was really fun to be there for them & try to show them a good time, giving everything we could do to give it a personal touch. the group's energy was so refreshing. it was great chatting with lateeya about her urban min experience & just be there to support & encourage the other leaders as fellow colaborers. everything about this internship has just been like the perfect combo of things i never imagined could fit together. i mostly just feel super excited these days... not because i've figured it out... but because i've been reminded that i can't... & i'm just eagerly loving the living part of the life each day =)
highlights of today: cleaning & work day with katie--mariah carey sing-a-long, awesome sunrise & sunset, trees changing more & more, out to dinner with pals, posted last discussion questions for my class, working monday=roadtrip to VA...
4 more days =)

update!

it's been a super busy month. so many good things to report. retreat groups have been in & out back to back, some even overlapping. this basically means a lot of super busy scheduling, quick turning over of camp. last week we had an all boys group in which i was again duped into doing the trust fall. this time i definitely didn't trust them, but ftk (for the kids), right? right. i lived! those were some cool kids & they even started listening by the end. it's neat to study who & how kids respect. just like we learned with the horses--much encouraging & little griping is key.

in every spare moment last week we were preparing for the maize fest & we officially opened on saturday. that was my favorite day of work so far. i love this time of year soo much. changing colors. crunchy leaves. crisp mornings & evenings. apple cider. maize fest. pumpkin spice coffee. had a princess sleepover this weekend at the steele's. yay dance party, dress up, chick flick, homemade coffee & oatmeal. it was just so nice to have a little get away with the girls right here.

church on sunday was really good. i got to go to lifepoint with the cline ladies. the whole service was awesome. loved the music time. the sermon was beautiful. left me challenged to be focused on the hope & promise of eternity, having faith in & seeking after the God who has proven Himself faithful over & over. stay tuned for a summary of this & other lessons being learned these days.

after some nice down/off time this week kicked off with a bang. it was nice to meet up with chad & the other interns for a time of just catching up & praying into the week. then we were able to get all of main camp cleaned & landscaped. great times with spontaneous dance party, deep cleaning, sticking together, & knockout. last night i added a new experience to the ever growing list-- livestock auction! some of the guys bought up some piglets for the petting zoo. i dream of having my own pet lamb someday.

today was surprise day. as i'm sure you all know, i love surprises. chad, our most awesome director, took us down to the inner harbor today. it was so nice to get into the city... b-more is such a nice one. the weather was perfect. we rode in on the light rail, strolled through the harbor, ate in b&n, played in espn zone, & played on federal hill. i enjoyed the time with the other interns & the bonawitz family away from camp for a bit. yes, i do love it here. but it was just nice to chill through the day in a different environment. it was a great surprise. babysat the sweet cline girls tonight & bedtime is coming soon.

i'm looking forward to working with the groups coming in this week, working the retreat this weekend, & fun plans already forming for next week.