As skeptical as I was about camp this year, it turned out to be incredible. It was definitely a summer of learning that it's not all about me. I feel like my whole life has been directed by whatever I feel like I should do. Have I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at me? Yes. Have I always listened? No. This summer was an example to me of what complete submission to the Holy Spirit looks like. There are blessings and freedom that come from putting your complete trust in the Lord. Submitting control is something that was a BIG lesson this summer. Submitting control for campfires. Submitting control for programming. Submitting control for conversations with campers. Those words were not my own. They were not for my glory, but for the glory of the Lord.

Also, I saw how I continually put God in this box. I have a problem and I limit the ways that he can work. He can only solve this problem by A, B, or C. Nothing else. Nada. What?! Who am I to limit the power of the creator God? His power and greatness is far greater than I can even begin to comprehend. So this summer I challenged myself and my campers to let God out of the box. To release these expectations and submit ourselves to God to be used in mighty ways. And there is fruit in that. The Lord is so good.

So I'm back from camp and as usual there is an Indiana shaped whole in my heart. I miss it. On the last night of camp, Lydia and I rode around the 2 mile loop around camp on a golf cart. Great conversations happen of golf carts, in case you didn't know. We started crying as we talked about our memories of SpringHill. What if this is our last year? What if we never spend another summer at Springhill? As I have been thinking about it, if this was my last summer at camp, I would be satisfied. I have left feeling a sense of calm about life. I have left with this passion and desire to love kids where they are at in life, despite what the world tells me. I have this passion to share Christ's love. SpringHill has allowed me to grow up in so many ways. Yes, I can't imagine a summer without SpringHill. My heart will BREAK when that time comes. I can't be sure of what the future holds. Honestly, it's just another chance to submit control to God and let him be the author of my future.

Camp. Round 3.

Wow. It's been nearly two years since my last post. Time flies.

Tomorrow I leave for my third year at camp. That's really hard for me to fathom. I definitely love that place. Yes, it's emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining, but it's so worth it. I can't imagine a summer without it. Sadly, I think this will be my last. Real life is beckoning me away from nightly campfires, amazing people, precious children, the blob, the gusher, the lake, the zipline, the camp songs, tractors, and the delicious camp food.

Tomorrow I start another summer full of adventures. A summer full of growing in Christ. A summer full of teaching and being taught at the same time. A summer full of learning. I'm nervous, excited. I'm already missing home, but I can't wait to go. I'm such a mixture of emotions, that is for sure.

Camp 2010. Here I come. Ready or not.
See you in August. :)

I voted yesterday. Almost made a mistake and voted for Obama. No thanks.

I got a flu shot in my right arm and a tetanus, diptheria, pertussis shot in my left. Today I feel like I got hit by an 18 wheeler. I don't lie. Maybe exaggerate, but not lie. :)

Tomorrow Sarah and I are taking a random adventure to Atlanta to stay with my crazy aunt and go to Six Flags. I'm so pumped. You don't even know. I like going away with friends. It's exciting, even if my dad thinks it's dangerous. How else will I discover the world? Really?

And this my friends is what my hair looked like yesterday morning when I woke up. I felt the need to document, since it is absolutley crazy and a half. My hair has a life of it's own.

Today is an emotional day in the Herbert house. I came home from my interview to find my family very sad. Maggie, our fun loving, dancing, friendly, big-hearted dog had passed away. So unexpected. So shocking. She was herself last night and this morning and then boom, things changed. My parents did all they could to try to save her.

Automatically I think of me not being able to say goodbye, but I do have those true Maggie memories. She was Maggie last night and that's how I get to remember her.

She always greeted me when I got home from work. Dancing at my feet til I acknowledged her. She ate anything and she loved to sleep right up next to my chest in the mornings. She was my favorite. She was my dog. But I do believe that she is up in heaven. A dog like Maggie would go nowhere else.

So I was rummaging through my closet a while back and found this object that I made my senior year in high school. A prom apron. YES! That is what it is. I think I had the brilliant idea to make these because of my uncanny knack for spilling food on myself. And who wants to spill food on their nice dress at prom. No normal girl does, that's who!

That's right. I said "Oh snap" even in high school. And my nickname was Hoover (long explanation that basically boils down to my last name being Herbert. Then there's the president... Herbert Hoover. Thus came the name Hoover). Honestly, I love this. Who wouldn't? How can you pass up pink ribbon, paint and dinosaurs? [maybe I can get a picture of my prom dress too :)]

All this to say that I've changed so much since high school. Two and a half years will do that to you I guess. I used to be so entirely awkward, not that I still don't have my moments. I had braces (no more of that, praise the Lord.) I wanted to be a doctor. I still have the shirt to prove it. Now I feel a little more grown up, but still young at times. I still have a LOT of growing up to do. I was naive back in high school about a lot of things. I'm still that way. Believe me. I lead a sheltered life and sometimes it's not a bad thing. There are somethings I would rather not know about. But I think more than anything, I've learned to embrace who I am. Going through high school it's easy to compare yourself to the popular people, but God made me this way. He knows who I am and loves me despite of it all.

So there. That's my thought for today. High school. Sometimes I miss ya, but most of the time I don't. :)

Fall is upon us friends. It's here. I can feel it in the air and see it in the changing colors on the trees. Oh man. My arms can't wait to be in long sleeves and sweaters.

Yesterday was a true Sunday in every sense of the word. I went to church with Jessica and Betsy. Then our afternoon was filled with outdoors things and pictures. We talked a lot about the future. What our lives will be like, our kids, our men (which was a main topic.) This is really the prime time in our lives, when we're not bound by jobs, families and real life obligations. This is the time.

I enjoy their company immensely. It was a true sunday with true friends.

On another note, we listened to the new Kings of Leon cd. It is so good. It's on repeat on my iPod now. So good. Get it.

Yay for lazy days. These are welcomed. Days where I can sleep in and wake up fully rested. Days where I can leisurely do my homework and relax the rest of the day. Days where I can fully enjoy a shower. MHHHMMM. This was today.

My mind has been elsewhere lately. Like a cloud of haze covering my eyes. I'm distracted.

I've come to embrace the change that I have been emmersed in. It's here and there's no going back now, only forward. Can't change the past, can only deal with the future.

What can you do?

I've been saying that a lot lately... What can you do?