I fell hard for Fall

This past weekend I went camping with some amazing friends in Brevard, NC. I didn't get to stay up there too long... but it was beyond worth it! Aside from the amazing company... i totally fell in love with the Fall in the mountains all over again! I had completely forgotten how incredibly gorgeous it was! The lowcountry doesn't compare to the upstate this time of year!!! I'm so thankful that I got to enjoy the peak weekend of the leaves with incredible friends and I'm also thankful that i had 5 incredible years living in that area. I miss it sometimes... a lot of times. But I'm onto the next season of my life! (which isn't autumn in the upstate). Right now it's home, but I'm taking it a day at a time and going wherever God wants me to go! 

But the whole point was to say that God rocks! Every region of the country is beautiful in its own way! And the mountains in the fall.... sigh... are BREATHTAKING! 

earth SHAKER

So I just watched several short films from the Invisible Children organization.. which i am a huge advocate of btw. I know that their cause is great.. they're fighting for something bigger than themselves. But shouldn't we as Christians be doing that every day. If we are living for Christ, we are fighting for something bigger than ourselves.. we should be fighting for the thousands upon thousands of lost souls who need hope. The hope thats found in Jesus Christ alone. Yes, Invisible Children is an amazing organization and their videos inspire me and bring me to tears nearly every time.. but when these children are rescued... and then recovered.. they are only being educated with earthly knowledge. What about the gospel? Who's going to tell them that Jesus loves them. I'm sure there are plenty of Christians involved in Invisible Children and the guys who started it may very well know Jesus. But they are not necessarily professing it for one reason or another. But if their organization can do all of this on their "own".. what more can we do? What more can we do as children of God? 

"For with God nothing is impossible."

Luke 1:37 (NKJV)

I am an earth SHAKER. Not going to be, not will be one day. But I AM an earth shaker. I am shaking the earth for God's glory. I am starting here, where I am NOW and God will take me all over the world to show His love. He's already started and my adventures are going to do nothing but continue.

"I won't delay. I won't hesitate. I will obey your call and abandon all to see the power of God. Your glory revealed. My nation healed."    -Israel Houghton 'My Nation Healed'

Tear Down The Walls!

So the Hillsong Conference- Encounter in Miami absolutely rocked my stinkin socks off! (Although I don't think I wore socks the entire time, which therefore means they did not actually stink...) But alas, wow. I think EVERY believer needs to experience being in an arena with thousands of people all there worshipping with everything that they have! It was beyond amazing.. and of course Hillsong always brings their best! The worship was OUTSTANDING! and the videos... EVEN BETTER! brought me to tears nearly every time. wow. One of the phrases that has just stuck with me since the conference and listening to United's most recent album a million times.. is "let HOPE rise!" 

Here are the lyrics to Tear Down the Walls... where you find the phrase "HOPE RISE!"

Tear down the walls see the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves
Look beyond
There is so much more than this

And I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this
Fire deep inside my heart

Look to the skies hope rise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real

Cause I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You

Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You

Cause I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You
(x2)

ok... so all of the lyrics in this song are amazing... man. phew. love it. and I LOVE JESUS!!!!!!!!!

A fun new Greek word

So i was started reading Hebrews, didn't get too far before I came upon a fun new Greek word in my super awesome study bible. It's the Greek word for Ministers... (verse reference: Heb 1:7)

Leitourgos- from laos, "people," and ergon, "work"; hence, working for the people. The word first denoted someone who rendered public service at his own expense, then generally signified a public servant, a minister.

WOAH. just chew on that for a while. i had to.... still am... 

missing my interns like woah.

aren't they adorable????

i sure do miss my interns. a lot. they all made my summer soooo incredibly memorable and amazing. i'm pretty sure i got frustrated with all of them at one time or another. but that's what made us family. lol. we were with each other so much. and went through so much change and growth and just craziness that you can't help but grow to love each other even more through it. we're all spread out in different places and i am already looking forward to our reunion. these interns weren't just the fantastic four.. mighty interns who pulled off camp when it seemed impossible. they were like my kids. lol. which is why they affectionately refer to me as mom (and quincy as dad.. how our children look like this i'll never know.. haha). but yeah.. the 6 of us made one heck of a team. and it was a summer like no other. i wouldn't have had it any other way. we were all there for a reason, for that specific time and God worked and moved in all of our lives. every summer i say that was the best summer yet, and i hope it continues that way. although this one will be hard to beat. :)

Camp Countdown: 19 Hours away.

Here's most of my team- (we were missing Chris)

WOAH! camp is oooober soon! i have lots to do... just wanted to throw this in. God is awesome. Our group rocks! We're really growing as a team (or family. haha). Satan tried to slow us down today. Our tire blew out in the good ole intern van. He's just threatened by the amazingness that's about to happen at camp. yyeaaaaahh! sooo excited!!!! God is gonna do BIG BIG things in these teenagers!! WOOOOOHOOOOO! 

Daytona!

Just wanted to add a pic of my current location... another beach! Such a tough life... I know! :)

ps- its not like i get to sit here all day on the beach.. promise. i'm in an office.

Summer Staff

FINALLY! I'm in Port Orange. Living the dream... working as summer staff for Decision Ministries! My first day in the office was today. AP and I went over all of my responsibilities and expectations for the summer. I won't be able to do it in my own strength.. God's gonna be getting all the glory in this! But I'm excited! It's gonna be an incredible 6 weeks.. and I'm looking forward to Quincy and the interns arrival. Until then... I'm brainstorming on video ideas to have ready come camp time. The theme this year is "ALL IN". I got a feeling it's gonna be the best year of camp... EVER! Lots of changes, but good changes. We're moving forward and preparing for an incredible year of camp! Get ready kids! It's gonna rock your socks off.

ps- i have yet to post any pics. and i feel i should be doing that.. pics to come soon! 

Sunroofs and Rainbows

"I'm such a sucker for the sky..."

I probably recite that phrase a few times a week.. or at least think it. I would walk around campus and look up and sigh with amazement and comment on the sunset or the puffy clouds or the way the stars seemed in reaching distance and my faithful roommate would say... "we know, we know LG... you're such a sucker for the sky!" I would then have a ridiculous grin on my face and agree with her statement. 

On that note... I have to get a new car. (don't worry.. it does tie in. lol) And since I'm doing this whole "grown up" thing now.. I also get to pay for this new car! (blah). One of my requirements is a sunroof. I have been a brat and refused to get a new car without a sunroof. I also want a pretty color- a dark blue or black or white. So yesterday, I'm at the dealership... I'm torn between a white civic and a dark red accord (both complete with sunroofs). I tell the manager the only thing that holds me back from the accord is the color. He then proceeds to tell me about the same car that they just happened to receive that VERY day that was black. My face lit up, I briefly test drove it and told the car salesmen that I was sold. No doubt in my mind. That was the car for me. It started raining while we were test driving and continued to do so as I drove away.. but the sun was still shining. It had been doing this on and off all day and I could never find the rainbow. After leaving the dealership I pulled on the interstate and saw the most amazing rainbow I've ever seen in my life. It was not a complete arc but it did have the brightest and most vivid colors I've ever seen and it was HUGE! I felt like I really could find that dang pot of gold. It was absolutely incredible.. When I saw it my jaw dropped and I exclaimed with joy! (No really.. I did. out loud!)

If that's not God's favor on my life... I don't know what is. He loves me and knows me down to my obsession with the beautiful sky He created. He also knows that I secretly love these cheesy moments.. And He wants to give me my heart's desires.. even down to a sunroof and a rainbow.. :) 

Someone once told me...

Someone once told me that I should write a blog. That was yesterday. And that someone is Steph. An incredible woman of God who's made a HUGE impact in my life. She has recently started this blog thing. You should check hers out. www.spicklo.blogspot.com. 

So I entitled this LG's Musings because i rather enjoy the word "musings" and a lot of my friends call me LG. But only college friends, because all of my siblings first names start with L too. Soo.. that nickname doesn't work at home. There are 4 "LGs" in my house. But yeah. The word musings is defined as thoughts, especially when aimless and unsystematic. At first I thought, that definition is so me! But then, I decided it was not exactly. Yes, I am spontaneous and at times my thoughts can be aimless or unsystematic. But my life is not aimless. God has ordered my steps and I aim to have the mind of Christ. Therefore... my thoughts shouldn't be that particular definition of musings. So let's just go with "thoughts" and the fact that I enjoy the word. Ok. moving on... 

I have a feeling these posts have the potential to get rather lengthy. I'll stop for now. But just so you know my summer adventure begins in less than a week. STOKED! :)