Summer in a Nut Shell

Where oh where has summer gone? It seems like just yesterday that I was looking forward to outreaches, acting in an amateur film, and headed off to SUMMIT. Now it is all behind me. It is just a memory...a recent memory.... a fading memory. However the lessons learned are anything but fading.

Kansas is known as the land of nothingness. I had heard that a total of twelve people actually live there. This is a myth that must be expelled from our minds. ;) In Kansas, I met a really neat group of believers! Although they had fewer than 20 members in their assembly, they worked together, encouraged one another, and were all doing something to further the kingdom. No assembly is perfect of course, but even though they were few in number, God was the one doing GREAT things in and through them!

Then there was Kentucky. No, I am obviously NOT a movie star :P and have no desire to be one. Two small churches got together to make an amateur film that has a Gospel message. My cousin directed it and asked me to be in it. Acting is one of my (I would say passions...but that's not quite accurate) most favorite things to do in the whole world, so of course I accepted, not realizing that God had me going so that He could teach me a thing or two.

1) Attitude. It's easy to start complaining when you are shooting a running scene at the end of the day when you are dirty, sweaty, and at the point of exhaustion! Honestly, there were times when I failed. But God knew what I needed. (Random side note: Sometimes it's an awesome feeling to work so hard that you sleep like a log...just sayin').

2) Patience. the whole cast and crew had to learn how to be patient with one another. With a schedule of something like wake up at 6, film all day, then go to bed at 12....it's easy to get on each other's nerves. Enough said.

3) Humility. Being in a movie, no matter how amateur it is, is exciting. For me, it's easy to think I'm doing something great for God. Well, I hate to break it to myself but...it's not about me. It's about God. At times I would wonder how this was ever going to turn out. "This will just be weird and laughable". But ya know something? I have the fun job. I do what I'm called to do, and God handles everything else. He does the work. He gets the glory. He's worthy.

Ok, so you probably think that I'm always off to another outreach, but really.........yeah, yeah I do tend to love outreaches. Actually I usually attend about one a year...but this year was a bonus! I heard about an outreach in North Carolina. I reeeeally wanted to go, but I knew the chances were slim. I mentioned it to my parents anyway, longing for the faintest ray of hope. Do you want to know how I got there? It was only God. Haha...I prayed and prayed and God answered with a yes. It was seriously a miracle that we were able to go. I met so many neat people there, and the Lord blessed all of the local saints that worked so hard to bring it together. We had at least 75 kids one of the nights, and a few professed salvation!

Summit Ministries. Wow. If you want to have a greater understanding and appreciation for your world view... then YOU SHOULD GO TOO! It was like putting contacts in... things became so much more clear!! :P Please ask me about it sometime.

So that was my summer in a nut shell. Not that you care...but I'm pretty impressed if you actually made it through this "book". Thanks for reading.