Children's Performance at Camp

While working on a recent newsletter, I came across this short movie clip that a volunteer took of some of the children performing for us.

They all looked adorable up on stage, and the lyrics from the song they sang were very touching, and spoke about being changed by other's love.

But my favorite part was when the crowd erupted in applause at the end of their song. Like parents at their child's recital, we were all so proud of these precious children that we had grown to deeply love in one-week's time. And I'm so glad that the kids had that experience of a room full of people swelling with pride and love for them...

This is why I haven't updated in a little while...

So much to learn

"Your love is deeper than any ocean, higher than the heavens, reaches beyond the stars in the skies. Jesus, Your love has no bounds...Jesus, Your love has no bounds...Jesus, Your love has no bounds!" ~P. Wickham

I watched my friend's little sister enjoy the ocean yesterday. She enthusiastically ran towards the foaming waves, then froze in place when the cold water overwhelmed her. Instinctively she turned and ran towards the warm, dry sand. But something about the deep ocean drew her back. So she walked next to the big sea, her feet becoming white from numbness, but she was happy.

And I realized how much that was a picture of my walk with the Lord...

I have always thought of how the ocean is like God; vast, mysterious, HUGE, and inviting. But even on an adventurous day, I've only explored like 20 feet into the ocean. And I bet it's the same with my walk with God.

I'm so grateful for the Scriptures because I learn so much about God though them, but I know that what I do know and what I will learn in my lifetime about my Savior is so small in comparison of what there is still to know...

It encourages me so much to think that God is infinite in all of His attributes...What I know of His goodness is just a piece of who He truly is. His mercy to me that seems so great already is even bigger than I know. And His love...His love goes on forever...

PS - There are some more photos from yesterday on my Flickr Page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21241138@N05

Little Angel

I was sifting through some camp photos this morning, and I was freshly reminded of how dear and precious these little children are to our Lord. This picture of our little Lori especially moved me. Seeing her all dressed up like an angel was just a snapshot of how God must see her...

"You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you..." -Isaiah 43:4

Saturday in Santa Monica :)

We headed up to the Santa Monica Pier in LA today to celebrate our friend Adam's birthday! It was an amazingly gorgeous day, and the Santa Monica Pier was picturesque as well. You can't ask for much more than a perfect day with good friends under the golden sun...And just when you think you can't ask for anything more, God let a quarter fall from the sky...literally. ;)

And here's a quick clip from our time on what we dubbed the "death ferris wheel"... :)



~kc

Meant to Live for So Much More

It had been one of those days. Distractions. Unanswered questions. Walks just to clear my head. Prayers more focused on situations rather than God Himself. By the end of my work day, I was weary.

When I got home, I flipped on some music to help get my mind onto Christ. Switchfoot's song "Meant to Live" happened to play, and the truth of the lyrics arrested my thoughts.

"We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves?...
Maybe we've been living with our eyes half open, maybe we're bent and broken...
We want more than this world's got to offer...and everything inside screams for second life...We were meant to live...we were meant to live!"

Totally true.

God, please help me get my eyes off of things going on in this world and onto what is eternal. What total freedom and hope that mindset and brings.

And there's so many opportunities to immerse ourselves into those "God moments..."

Like last night, when my friend's little sister was all snuggled up with me on the couch and she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said, "Kristen, I love you to heaven and back!"

Just how can you have your mind on anything more important than things like that? And, I Love you Libby!! To the heaven and back, times two. :)

When I just don't know

"Whatever my God ordains is right, in His love I am abiding.
I will be still in all He does, and follow where He is guiding.
He is my God, though dark my road. He holds me that I shall not fall.
And so to Him I leave it all."
-Whatever My God Ordains is Right, Sovereign Grace Music

Over the last few weeks I've been in a number of situations where I feel really stumped at what God's up to in my life. I'm a pretty analytical person and I love grasping things on a deeper level. But lately, God has really blinded my eyes to some things going on which leaves me at a loss of understanding all God is doing (not that I ever fully understand all God is doing though.) :)

Proverbs 3:5-7 has been really humbling me as it tells me to not rely on what I think I know and to "not be wise in my own eyes" but to trust the Lord.

So God, I am far from understanding all you're doing, but I know that You are busy at work in my life, and that's all that matters...

~K.