this is it...so follow me!

Deep breaths. That is what I keep telling myself every time I think of the fact that Friday is the day. Passport is finally here and my excitement is building my the second. Deep breaths are the only thing keeping me sane right now. 3 more days and I will be on my way to the best summer ever. FRIDAY!!!!!! Oh my sorry, I am just overcome with joy right now and can't keep it in. I still have a lot of packing to do and some last minute video and bible study preparation, but I am feeling good and ready. Hopefully this excitement will stay and nervousness will not kick in too strong in the next few days. I know this is what I am supposed to be doing and that God is by my side. Knowing that I am ready for this summer adventure to begin!!!!!!

I was thinking about the best way to keep everybody informed about my summer adventures. Sure I am going to take lots of pictures but I will probably be super late in getting those posted to Facebook just because that takes time to sit down and sort through the ones you want to post and putting captions on them so they make sense to everybody else. So I believe the best way to keep everyone updated would be through this blog. That way I can post one or two pictures every few days and share a couple stories before I forget them with the craziness of camp. So since this is my decision I have a request of all my readers (I know I don't have many but I then again i know I have a few so thank you). If you read my blog (regularly, on occasion, or even have just heard about it) could you please become one of my followers? I ask this for two reasons. One I would love to know who is reading, and two I want to pray specifically for my followers. It is super simple. Just scroll down the page a little bit and on the left hand side you will see a section with a bunch of squares with people on them. Just click follow and fill in your name (or nickname or codename, it does not matter). I would really be so thankful if you would do this for me. Thank you in advance for those of you who do. I will be praying for you.

Just one little update before I go. I am still keeping up with my Bible reading. Since last Tuesday I have finished 1 Samuel, Philippians, and Proverbs. I am now onto 2 Samuel. Please continue to pray for me in my Bible reading journey. I am learning so much from it every day. You should also think about doing it if you have never tried. Its hard work but ever so rewarding.

I hope and pray that everybody is doing well and that you summer is starting off with a bang! Be safe and enjoy this warm weather. And as always I pray that your journey is blessed!

some intense preparation...

So I apologize for not blogging recently. I have been in intense preparation for camp this past week with little down time for rest, let alone blogging. Looking back on this past week I have begun to add "blogging time" to my prayers. I so badly want to keep everybody updated on my upcoming journey this summer and I promise to try my absolute best.

Like I said I have been getting ready for next Friday all week long and I wanted to share with you what that included. I am the videographer this summer in Macon, Ga., however we [videographers] need to know the weekly bible studies just in case something happens and we need to jump in and help. After going through them a few times I have a whole new respect for the bible study leaders this summer and I have been praying for them more and more. This past weekend I also traveled down to the Passport national office in Birmingham, Al. to go through video training. I was blessed to meet and get to know the other videographers working this summer and we became fast friends. I am glad to have them as people I can turn to in times of stress and craziness this summer. We all spent a jammed packed weekend learning the video software and practicing using our cameras. It was so much fun and it made the anxiety I had about using the camera this summer shrink down so much.

The only snag I ran into this past week was in the airport trying to get home from video training. My plane was delayed about 45 minutes which was not too bad. However, when we got on the plane to take off, the left engine was not working. That began the downward spiral. After deplaning we were moved to 4 different gates. 3 hours later we finally were back on a working plane and going home. I was supposed to get home around 1230am Monday morning but after that ordeal I ended up getting home at 4am. Thank you sooooo much for my parents for picking me up and driving me home. I don't know what I would do without them sometimes.

Through it all I have been blessed to be able to find little bits of time to keep up with my bible readings. I am still in 1 Samuel and I am enjoying it. It is not a complicated book to understand and it is quite entertaining, which is exactly what I need during this busy time.

Please continue praying for me as the first day of camp training draws closer with each passing day. I am so excited about this summer and I cannot put into words how I am feeling right now. Its going to be so much fun. I pray that everybody has had a wonderful week so far and that the rest of the week goes smoothly for everybody. And of course I pray that your journey is richly blessed with all that God has to offer.

no place like home...

This is the view I see when I walk out onto my front porch at home. Is this not beautiful? This is one of the reasons why my favorite place when it is warm at home is on the front porch. It is where I can relax and take all the world in. I miss this when I am gone, but it makes it that much sweeter when I get back. I have a few weeks here at home before I go off to camp for the summer. I am taking that time to spend with my family, see friends, cook yummy food, and READ!!!! What is my favorite way to kick back and dive into a book? Well that would have to be in my hammock :) This thing is awesome I have to say. I can hang it up on the front porch and just lose myself in another world. I have just recently finished a series entitled the Hunger Games. It is a three book young adult series that is quite gripping and enthralling. I would recommend it. I mentioned way back in an earlier post that I was trying to read all of the Sparks books. I still am but I received these books as a birthday present and they were such an easy and quick read that I had to take a slight break from my goal. No worries though. I am back to reading another Sparks book and enjoying every moment!

I also have still been keeping up with my Bible reading. Since my last post I have finished reading Romans, Ruth, and Ephesians. All of the books were very humbling and eye opening. I fall in love with this daily Bible reading challenge more and more every day that I continue doing it. I would definitely recommend it to anybody who is looking to dive into their faith a little deeper. Tomorrow I start 1 Samuel. It should be fun!

I hope everybody is enjoying their weekend. I know I sure am. Whether it is a stroll down to the Farmer's Market, or a look in the Library, or a nice quiet chunk of time on the front porch, home is where I feel the best. It feels so great to be here for a while and I am so lucky to have my home in a beautiful piece of land that God created. He is so awesome!!!! Thank you to everybody who has been praying for me as well as everybody who has been finishing up school. It was much appreciated!!! I pray that everybody is doing well and that you are enjoying your warm weather before the rain begins. And of course I pray that your journey is blessed!!!!

special shout out...

Since today is Mother's Day I thought I would send a special shout out to my own mother here on the blog. I LOVE my mother with all my heart and I am so blessed to have her in my life. What a gift for a child(especially girls) to have a Godly woman as their mentor. My mom is so special and I would not trade her for anything in the world. I wanted to share some pictures of mom with you guys. Pictures do not do justice to my mom's winning personality and loving demeanor. Mom you are simply the best and I can not come up with enough words to describe how special you are to me.

Me, my sister, and mom at Disney World

The whole family at Disney. I love them all so much!

My mom...my best friend :)

She is also a pretty awesome wife. They are such a great example to me.

I am still reading through Romans right now. The words in Romans are so incredibly deep and thought provoking so it is taking me a while to get through it. I have to go back and re-read almost everything to soak in the meanings. But it is worth it because the message in Romans is so true. We are saved my grace through faith!!!! God is so good. I hope that everybody is having a great mother's day. I also hope that this next week goes well. I will not be posting for a while since I finish up school and move back home this week. It is so exciting but kind of nerve-racking also because that means I am just a couple of weeks away from going off to camp training week. AAAAHHHHH I cannot wait for this summer to start. Please continue to be in prayer for me as I continue on this journey. Praying for everybody else as well. Love you guys and I hope that your journey is blessed!!!

one month!, another book down, be a prude...

Today is an exciting day in the life of Sara, and I am sure it is an exciting day in the lives of many other people also. Today is May 3, 2011 which means...ONE month until staff training for camp begins!!!! I have been patiently counting down the days on my calender ever since I received the amazing news that I had been chosen as a staffer for Passport summer camps. Since January I have filled out information sheets, received my staff packet, befriended my fellow team members on Facebook, and have flights scheduled for video training in a few weeks! Now that camp is officially one month away I have decided to let myself become super excited. With each passing day the anticipation has been building and I just know that this summer holds such grace and wonder that I could never possibly put into words. I can't wait until June 3, 2011 rolls around. Wow...one month to go :)

Another bit of exciting news is that I have finished the book of Judges! It was a good book and a pretty easy read so I enjoyed it. Tomorrow I start the book of Romans. The New Testament always makes me happy so I cannot wait to sink my teeth into its words.

I am also back into the world of Proverbs. Chapter 19 to be exact. Today while I was reading God really spoke up and it was kind of ironic so I felt like i needed to share. Yesterday my roommate, my future roommate, and I were talking about how girls these days need to hear that they are beautiful more often and that they need to love themselves for who they are. To many young girls today are not realizing that and they are making some decisions that could impact the rest of their lives. Jokingly we used the term "prude" as a way girls (and everybody for that matter) should conduct themselves. To be a prude means to have morals and that you don't feel comfortable putting yourself into situations that involve harsh language, alcohol, and PDA. Pretty much you need to be modest. Last night we all labeled ourselves as prudes. Well today during my Bible reading in Proverbs I read 19:14 which states that "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord." How cool is that!!!!! God decided to affirm our thoughts and conversation from the night before. What a blessing :) God is so good and he really cares for us. So as my roommate says, "Respect yourself! Be a prude!"

Hope all is going well for everybody. Finals week is just gearing up for us and I am sure the stress wall will be hitting me soon as my Organic 2 final draws near. I pray that all is going well this week and of course I pray that your journey is blessed!!!