EPIC.

The beautiful day that we had for the baptisms in the ocean.

Three baptisms in the ocean. What a glorious day!

So a few weeks ago I went to be a chaperone for my church's youth camp in Panama City, FL. It was a spur of the moment thing. The youth minister asked me to go before I went to South Africa, but it was the weekend after I would get home and I just didn't think I would want to go so I said no, initially. But as I was doing my quiet time when I arrived home from SA, I felt like God was calling me to go. So on Wednesday (they left on Friday) I went to see the youth minister and see if there was any way I could go. He told me that I was in luck because one of the chaperones had found out just that morning that he had to work and wouldn't be able to go..God sure is good.

The only downside was I had to work on Friday and on Monday so I would have to make the four hour drive alone. Oh boy. I have driven to Panama City before, but never by myself. I didn't really have written directions to lead me and my parents were kinda like, "you just flew to South Africa by yourself, I think you can make it to Panama City alone." So off I went.

I am one of those people that really enjoys quality time alone in the car, where I can just be myself and jam out and sing and laugh at how stupid I look. Yep, that's me. So I was pumped for the eight hours I'd have in the car by myself.

I was about halfway into the trip and I was using the Maps app on my iPhone, which is unreliable to say the least, and I noticed my phone only had 20% left, and I knew that was no bueno, so I began searching in gas stations for a charger, without avail. Thankfully, I finally stubbled upon a CVS and found a charger! One disaster avoided.

As I began the second leg of my journey, I began praying about the weekend ahead at Youth Camp, just asking God to move and work in the youth. I was just a talking away and then I looked up and saw this amazing rainbow. I started blubbering like a little baby. Rainbows are such simple things, but yet represent such a huge promise made by God.

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9: 13-16

It's the little God moments like that that truly make life beautiful.

I continued on my way and made it to PCB safe and sound, just in time for Friday night worship. Joey Hill was the speaker for the weekend and the theme was EPIC. It was a great weekend. It really was interesting because I have never been a chaperone before. It's such a different role, different in a good way. I was reminded that the weekend wasn't about me(and neither is life), but about the youth and their relationship with God. Very humbling and just what I needed. Since coming home from SA, I have been lured by Satan into the thought that I am somehow better than everyone else just because I went to serve God internationally. I know in my heart and my brain that I am not, but still have my sinful moments where I get very big headed about it all. So this role as chaperone was a much needed role to put me back in my place.

God truly worked during Youth Camp and it was EPIC. I am so blessed that I got to work with the youth and witness three baptisms in the ocean. What a cool experience!!

I'll leave you with one quote from my worship notes that really sticks out:

"Everything ugly in our lives is SIN. On the outside, we look like we have it all together, but on the inside, it's ugly. Thankfully, the ugliness that Christ displayed on the cross turns our ugly lives into beauty."