happenings, happenings!

Wow. This summer has just flown by, and I'm not sure how I feel about it! If I had to describe it all in one word it would be: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Since the last post, The Ramp was absolutely awesome. Words can't express how thankful I am of what the Lord did through every individual that went. A few thoughts from the trip: God is a REAL God and He speaks in a REAL way, there is no more time for compromising, we are in the midst of a third great awakening. The last day of the conference, we had a baptism service- and not the ordinary tub on the stage type baptism that is filled with warm water, awaiting adults and children who feel it is neccessary because of tradition. This baptism was something glorious, down in a creek of Hamilton, AL where God's presence was quickly falling. I felt like I was witnessing something from the Bible-days. The whole trip was just wonderful.

Next on my list of great things this summer was the wedding of my best friend Ashley. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Everything turned out gorgeous, from the venue to the flowers, to the people in the bridal party, just all of it! We all had such a fun time dancing the night away and trying our hardest to make it a memory to last a lifetime.

Third on my list is my personal wedding planning! Me and Jordan are anxiously awaiting next summer, a ton of new things for us- on which I will write about another late night. We have our wedding budget set and in the process of setting our wedding date. School is starting soon and I pray it won't halt my wedding planning :/ I'm going to try my hardest to keep everything going strong! Jordan is already having to keep me sane, haha, I love him so much.

Things I've realized throughout these sunny months:

• There is a lot of things that I want to do. These include: be the best teacher any school has ever seen, open up a Christian dance studio, get my cosmetology license, make crafts and sell them, learn how to sew, and learn ballet.
• Tourists can be some of the most hilarious individuals on the planet.
• Online classes are harder than they should be, and I will never have the desire to take another one.
• Beach time should be taken more seriously- with Bible, book or magazine, water, and Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil.
• The older you get, the less amount of summer free-time you receive. :(
• I can't wait until next May, when I am finished with college!
• I really need to blog more often so that when I actually blog, it won't be as extensive.
• AHHHHH! I'm getting married!!!!!
  

glory.

Tuesday, I will be leaving with my youth group to attend a conference at a place called
The Ramp. Now you're probably wondering what in the world that is. The Ramp is a place where the Glory of God dwells. His presence just so happens to overtake every individual who enters the doors. Young adults, youth, and children gather there from across the nation almost every month to have an encounter with Jesus. The last time I have actually attended The Ramp was in 2005, which seems forever ago, but I've watched online live for many gatherings and services since then. It's crazy that the last time our youth group went was when I was in probably the 11th grade, and now I'm going as a chaperone! I'm praying that every individual in the group going with us leaves there changed.

As I look back at my middle and high school years, I truly believe those are years that I would not want to re-live. I'm not sure if that statement is based on some of the trials I went through during those times, or simply because most students at those ages are so lost. Me as an example, I never had boyfriends, smoked a cigarette or drank a drop of alchohol, but I sure wanted to "fit in". My heart breaks when I see young people trying hard to be like their friends, or hear of them making bad decisions- based on who they are around, or even trying to be the boy or girl that is labeled "different". It is absolutely OK to not fit in with the rest of your graduating class, or even the teammates on your baseball or football team. Part of my testimony is that the Lord kept me from falling into worldly desires and lusts. I wish I could get that across every teenager's mind. The problem with fellow classmates and unsaved friends, is that they are searching. Searching for something to accept them. Searching for someone to love them. Searching for something rewarding. Searching for something to fill in the gap of their soul. The exciting thing about living a life for the Lord, is that what everyone else is searching for, we have already found it! It's Jesus. Your job as the Christian kid at school, is to share the love that you have found.

In conclusion, I am expecting the Lord to move mightly on the young people in our church on this trip. They need a real encounter. It is so easy for us to get complacement and feed off of the everyday issues of life. I want Jesus to wreck our lives for His glory. I crave for Him to get in the way.
www.theramp.org << check it out!