Waiting

I have worked alot of camps the past few weeks and have been able to talk to alot of girls about what they are going through and what problems they are facing today. One of the main problems I kept hearing about was problems in relationships. I tried to tell my girls that they need to make sure the guys they are picking put God first. He cannot truly love you until he truly loves God. So wait for the right one. Do not settle for less. God has someone out there for everyone; we just have to be willing to wait. 

I found a prayer a girl wrote for her future husband that I absolutely love:
                            
                              "I pray that we be wise. I pray that we be patient. I pray that we be steady. I pray for guidance that only comes from having a foundation in Christ. I pray that we explore life in what God has for us together, that I may know deeper of His love because of you. I pray that you love me as Christ loved the church. I pray that you will fight for me like no other, and that I may comfort you like I never have another. I pray that God makes this clear. I pray that you are His will for me."

This prayer is what I pray and I hope that all my girls will pray this as well. Know that you are worth it. That Christ has the best for you. All we have to do is wait. Let it be God's will not our own. Realize that you are beautiful. You are not defined by your clothes, your makeup or hair. Be you, don't try to be anyone else. You are beautiful no matter what anyone tells you. God created you and you are his Masterpiece. Someone is going to find you captivating. You deserve the absolute best, so do not settle for anything less.

DNOW Lavaca

Since we left Sunday, I still feel the burden of what was said this weekend. As I loaded my stuff in the van, I dreaded leaving. The small town of Lavaca had a huge impact on me. Maybe it was the sermon or possibly the music. Maybe it was when one of my girls came to me crying minutes before I left asking me not to go. What do you do in that moment? My heart broke because in all honesty, I was just as upset about leaving as she was. I'm aware that this DNow was only a weekend event, but it only took a day for me to realize that I love these girls. God definitely brought us close together and worked in all of us. I had six 9th graders. All of them were full of energy and very talkative, which I absolutely loved. It did not take long for me to realize that it would be a fantastic weekend. This weekend I acted like a kid. I stayed up and talked till 2a.m. and we even had a dance party. We played paint dodge ball and in the group picture, you can see everyone smiling but Chris Comstock and I. He looks like a duck and I'm doing the creeper face. We were all able to hang out and have fun but in our group times, we calmed down and talked about the sermons. I shared my testimony Friday night and the girls really opened up and were honest with me. They told me what they were struggling with and shared that many of them struggled with the things I shared in my testimony. My heart really went out to these girls. They are so young, yet many are struggling with problems beyond their control. But they gave it to God. I was so encouraged when I heard them say "Im struggling with this, but Im giving it to God." At such a young age they understood what it meant when Jesus died on the cross. They saw the grace God gives and the freedom in confession. I was inspired by how much I saw God move in my group this weekend. I pray that God will continue to move in their lives and help them to see that their identity is in none other than Christ.

Ephesians 3:16-19