:)

Hey everyone! I couldn't help laughing when I watched this video haha just watch Caleb (one of the guys on my team) in the background. We had a two days off in Florida so we hit the beach! But hope you enjoy my tiny update walking along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida :)

wise words from the far east

We are back in the springs! We just had our week of and it was no nice to be able to relax and sleep in. :) But I am ready to get back on the road tomorrow. We had our FIRST family presentation a few weekends ago. We did a recap this week for the staff that haven't seen it yet. 

It was amazing to see these families together. We had grandparents, parents, kids, singles...pretty much everyone! It was so great! A part of our presentation we had every person sit and worship in silence for a bit and pray about things they would feel they need to confess to their families. We looked at, throughout the entire presentation, different things that get in the way of being with your family. For example: technology, media/culture, and reading the bible out of context. We had each person ask themselves questions at the end of each session. So in our moment of silence there was a chance to reflect on those questions. After that we gave families the chance to confess those things to each other. It was amazing!

Many people came up to me at the end and thanked us for allowing them to do that, how they do not do that enough with their families. It's sad but true, we feel like we can't be honest with our families anymore. I was out in the lobby looking at these families gathered together. I saw a dad with his two kids and wife gathered in the corner praying together and it just reminded me of the importance of a father's role. While researching for the family presentation I read a lot of books and one of the days I was hit with the reminder of the importance of a father's role in our lives. So, because I am an awesome daughter :), I texted my dad to tell him how amazing he is. So I got chance to talk to him later and he had some great insights about a father's role:

"Dad’s play a very important role in their children’s lives. In many ways, children understand their relationship with Father God through their relationship with their own fathers. That makes it vital that fathers stay in relationship with God to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of Father God through our earthly fathers.

What legacy do we as fathers leave to our children? How do we allow God’s Spirit and love to reach our children? The life of faith is the legacy we must leave for our children.

There are many times I realize that I did not demonstrate God’s love to my own children. I allowed frustration, anger, selfishness and negative attitudes to rule my actions and words. The obvious interference in the last two sentences were “me” (look at how many times I and my show up) And that is exactly what becomes the hindrance to reaching our families for Christ, when we get in the way. We as fathers must let God the Father rule us in such a way that we diminish and He increases! Allowing God to touch our children through us is our mission and co-mission with God! That is how to leave a lasting legacy!"

me and my dad on my 13th birthday

My dad is amazing! As I get older he just seems to get wiser ;) It is so true though! And as we interact with more families it is so great to see the parents, and dad's, so involved with their students spiritual growth. Makes me miss my family and realize how blessed I am to have a great family and a great dad.