ten thousand reasons.
Oh dear. I am proving to be absolutely terrible at this. I am not at all off to a good start on the whole, "I'll blog all the time and update you about camp" thing. I offer my sincerest apologies, please forgive me.
Needless to say, many things have happened since I last wrote! Life as a Fellow is in full swing, and fall weather is upon us! We have been enjoying cooler temperatures here at the Ranch, and I am very thankful to be able to walk to breakfast without breaking a sweat. I even busted out my grey and pink cardigan yesterday! (You know how much I love cardigans.) I am very pleased to once again add sweaters and jackets to my regular wardrobe.
It's also football season, FINALLY, which I am obviously VERY excited about. I've managed to catch some games despite my busy schedule, and I am happy to report that I will be taking time off to attend Texas/OU Weekend in Dallas. (Hook 'Em!) Cool weather, football and camp - it is shaping up to be quite a nice fall! I welcome it gladly. :)
Let's talk about camp! Here's what I've been up to:
Watermark Weekend
On Labor Day Weekend, Watermark church from Dallas came out for their annual "Launch Retreat." Basically, their singles department rented out camp for four days and took over. It was awesome. They brought a carnival, yes, a carnival, a petting zoo, and about a thousand people. They also brought in two pretty big recording artists, Tedashii and Ben Rector, for concerts. Two free concerts and a carnival, not bad for a weekend's work!
Watermark weekend was our first experience as Fellows running and working a weekend. We were in charge of everything from setting up chairs and tables to transporting guests and their luggage around camp on trailers to running activities. It was very busy but lots of fun, and definitely worth working a holiday weekend for.
My Birthday!
Yes! I turned twenty-three! I guess that means I'm older and wiser now, or something. It was so fun to spend a birthday at camp, and it is very nice to be twenty-three and happy with where I am in life. Despite the busy-ness of Watermark Weekend, we did find some time to celebrate. Where else would we go but Sonic, of course. (Where else is there to go in Van, Texas, but Sonic?)
I also got some lovely birthday mail over the course of the week, so thank you to all who sent pretty things my way! After the weekend, I was blessed to get some time off to spend with my family, and I am so thankful I got to share meals with most everyone. As far as birthdays go, this was a good one. :)
The Cougar Invitational
Last week, a few of us spent all week setting up for this huge cross-country meet that Grace Community (from Tyler) hosts at Sky Ranch each year. We literally spent days walking around mapping out and marking this course.
You're rich in love,
Needless to say, many things have happened since I last wrote! Life as a Fellow is in full swing, and fall weather is upon us! We have been enjoying cooler temperatures here at the Ranch, and I am very thankful to be able to walk to breakfast without breaking a sweat. I even busted out my grey and pink cardigan yesterday! (You know how much I love cardigans.) I am very pleased to once again add sweaters and jackets to my regular wardrobe.
It's also football season, FINALLY, which I am obviously VERY excited about. I've managed to catch some games despite my busy schedule, and I am happy to report that I will be taking time off to attend Texas/OU Weekend in Dallas. (Hook 'Em!) Cool weather, football and camp - it is shaping up to be quite a nice fall! I welcome it gladly. :)
Let's talk about camp! Here's what I've been up to:
Watermark Weekend
On Labor Day Weekend, Watermark church from Dallas came out for their annual "Launch Retreat." Basically, their singles department rented out camp for four days and took over. It was awesome. They brought a carnival, yes, a carnival, a petting zoo, and about a thousand people. They also brought in two pretty big recording artists, Tedashii and Ben Rector, for concerts. Two free concerts and a carnival, not bad for a weekend's work!Watermark weekend was our first experience as Fellows running and working a weekend. We were in charge of everything from setting up chairs and tables to transporting guests and their luggage around camp on trailers to running activities. It was very busy but lots of fun, and definitely worth working a holiday weekend for.
When I say they brought a carnival,
I mean they brought a carnival.
...complete with a live band and a Saturday night dance party!
I spent all afternoon on Sunday lifeguarding at these beautiful waterslides.
I found some time to sneak away and listen to Ben Rector
pre-concert doing his sound check.
Ben Rector concert at Sky Ranch.
...and about a thousand glow-sticks.
...and about a thousand glow-sticks.
Legacy Fellows enjoying the show from up in the sound booth.
...and the random guest we found asleep on the couches in the lobby the next morning.
My Birthday!
Yes! I turned twenty-three! I guess that means I'm older and wiser now, or something. It was so fun to spend a birthday at camp, and it is very nice to be twenty-three and happy with where I am in life. Despite the busy-ness of Watermark Weekend, we did find some time to celebrate. Where else would we go but Sonic, of course. (Where else is there to go in Van, Texas, but Sonic?)
I also got some lovely birthday mail over the course of the week, so thank you to all who sent pretty things my way! After the weekend, I was blessed to get some time off to spend with my family, and I am so thankful I got to share meals with most everyone. As far as birthdays go, this was a good one. :)
Cheers!
The Cougar Invitational
Last week, a few of us spent all week setting up for this huge cross-country meet that Grace Community (from Tyler) hosts at Sky Ranch each year. We literally spent days walking around mapping out and marking this course.
The meet was scheduled for Friday morning, and we had about 1100 student athletes signed up to run. Thursday night, we had a huge storm and almost-tornado on camp. No kidding. Our entire course was destroyed, and most of the land we had planned for the course ended up being underwater or knee-deep in mud. As a result, I watched the sunrise on Race Day while tearing down debris from a field and helping to set a new, much less exciting, course that consisted only of road.
I enjoyed working the meet, but I had to repress my inner-athletic-trainer and resist all urges to tape ankles and hand out ice bags. I mainly worked at the registration table, but I also lifeguarded at the pool after the race. Let me tell you, a pool full of over a hundred high schoolers is no joke. At one point they had a mega-huge game of water polo going on, and I was forced to blow my whistle no less than three times. ...crazy kids.
Other than setting up for the Invitational, I spent all of last week working with the programs department (as opposed to working in outdoor education). We tackled various projects at the activities all around camp, the biggest of which involved building six "bunkers" on our paintball course. I felt pretty legit after that.
Because of several different circumstances, we haven't been very busy with schools yet. Lots of schools have rescheduled to come later in the year after mosquitoes become less of an issue, so from what I hear it's going to be a very busy November. Because of that, this is my first week to work in OE with schools. I am definitely enjoying finally getting to hang out with the kids and get into the classes. Tomorrow night I am leading my first campfire, so I will let you know how that goes!
(Incidentally, my campfire tomorrow night will be at a spot on camp we now call Fireside Beach. It was formerly known as Canoe Beach, but then the canoes were moved to an alternate location, so obviously we had to rename the beach. When we first got here in August, they asked us to contribute to the list of ideas for a new name. I am pretty pumped to report that I suggested Fireside, and it stuck. I've been here a month and they're already letting me name stuff. 10 points to Gryffindor!)
I am still really thankful to be here. I have such an awesome peace about where I am, which is wonderful, because I haven't had that in a while. I feel so blessed each day to wake up and get to serve at this place alongside these people, and I love how the Lord has brought me back here after being away for two years. He has been showing me much over the past few weeks, and hopefully I will have time this weekend to write about that in its own post. I don't have time at present to do it justice, so I will postpone.
This post is titled after a song that has been stuck in my head for the past few days. It's one of our favorites to sing during staff worship here, and it definitely reflects my heart at the moment.
You're rich in love,
And You're slow to anger.
Your name is great,
And Your heart is kind.
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing--
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul!
Oh my soul, worship His holy name.
Sing like never before,
Oh my soul!
I worship Your holy name.
One month down, eleven to go. God is good, all the time, and I am seeing His faithfulness daily. Praise Him for bringing me to this place and for authoring the Story that got me here.
Sky Ranch Outdoor Education Staff
"I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name i will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you."
- Psalm 63:2-5
You did a great job with campfire! Rock rock on!!