Glorieta 2012

Every Glorieta experience is different.

This one proved to be different starting with the bus ride there.  ­It wasn’t nearly as miserable as I was expecting it to be. We played Apples to Apples, Go Fish Dinos, and Old Maid, read fairytales out loud, and played several mind/logic sorta games.

There’s a lot to enjoy about Glorieta but I think one of my favorite things is being able to get away and get alone with the Lord. I’m torn during the free time between wanting to go cheer on and watch people playing the sports or doing my own thing. Doing my own thing wins each time. I can play or watch people play sports at home. I don’t have a huge prayer garden I can go to at home. I don’t have trails I can wander along alone at home. So that’s exactly what I did on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday during free time.

On Monday I hiked up Glorieta Lookout trail with Meredith, Emily, and Bryanna, and then I got away on my own to go to the prayer garden. On Tuesday I went to the prayer garden again. It kept threatening to rain, but luckily it didn’t.  Then when I left the garden I explored the trails near the cabins by myself. I’m just the type of person that needs to be able to have alone time. Thursday I got to catch up with Sarah, and then again get away to the tables along the trails near the cabins.

Thursday, when talking with Sarah, I realized frustration has been competing with and taking over the peace I’ve been feeling. I’ve been keeping everything I’ve been dealing with inside and bottled up for so long that when I did share I just broke down. It’s like I’ve been storing all the tears behind a dam and the dam finally broke. It’s a reminder for me though that you don’t always know the trials and struggles someone may be going through. Outwardly or publicly everything appears fine but just because you can’t see the inward turmoil doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Then that night, as worship began, we prayed for a student, Jude, who has cancer. I guess it just struck too close to home because I was emotional the rest of the night. That was possibly the best night of worship though in my opinion. I was constantly reminded through that night that God is sovereign.  “You are peace. You are peace when my fear is crippling…You are joy. You are joy. You’re the reason that I sing”

What I think my biggest take away from the week is is letting Christ shine through me by truly giving myself and my plans to Him. It’s during all the time alone, and getting alone with the Lord, that I learn the most. I can take what I’ve been hearing and learning during the sessions and worship and really reflect on it and pray.

As we sang one night “Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above,” it became so much more than just words.  It became my prayer and I don’t think it can be said better than that. Here’s my heart Lord. Take it and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Here’s what I wrote in my journal: Lord, let the focus and desire of my heart be You. May my thoughts and actions all be to glorify You. Lord, here is my heart. I want to honor You. Help me to take captive every thought so it is honoring to you.

Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every though to make it obedient to Christ.

That tied in so well, at least I think, with the passage we were discussing all week in our community group:

 1 Peter 4: 7-11 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins, Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 

I really enjoyed my community group too. It was a group I felt comfortable in and everybody willing participated. It was a great group.

Wednesday we had our free day and we went to Pecos. I climbed up part of the mountain with some of the girls. Not much scares me, and I don’t know why but getting back down the mountain was scaring the mess out of me. Everything went fine though and some guys from Denham Springs were there to help us. On the way back to Glorieta from Pecos I finally met two of the Canadians, Cameron and Ryan. I’m sad that it was the second to last day before I met them because I enjoyed talking with them. When we got back from Pecos I was able to ramble about Indonesia to a few people. That always makes me happy.

Not only did we have the Canadians but we also had two girls from Alaska in our cabin and the group from Hawaii eating with us. We had all kinds of places represented!

The trip back home was not quite as bearable as the trip there, but we did play MASH for about 4 hours so now everyone has their future planned. It was hilarious! Parker gets married to three of the girls on the bus. I have a total of 87 children as I work as a chef/human trafficker. I didn’t even want to write that down and I became it! I guess that’s reason we can be very thankful MASH doesn’t actually determine our future!