A Time of Transition

Hello friends!
I will refrain from apologizing about the length of time which has past since I last posted. This summer I was a cook at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp, as you may know if you've seen the "latest" post on my blog:) I spent eleven wonderful weeks learning and growing as I served the Lord.
There are so many things that I could share about my summer! But first I want to answer a popular question:

Q. If you were at camp all those weeks, when did you study for Bible Bee???
A. After much prayer, my parents and I decided that I would do Timothy Track this year. To be transparent with you all, this has been a matter of struggle for me. The Lord impressed on me that He wanted me to work full time at the camp that I've been working part time at for many years. I knew that this would mean some sort of sacrifice on my part, but I thought that perhaps I could still do National Track in the afternoons, or get up super early, or something! But the Lord made it clear that such a plan was not possible, while still giving my everything to the ministry at camp. Also, I start bible college on Monday, which would have made preparing for Nationals difficult if I had qualified. This was a hard decision to make. However, I trust that this is His will and am excited to have learned to 150 verses in Timothy Track! Even that was a challenge on a cook's schedule:)

So, that question answered, here's what my life is looking like right now. I am studying for Local Bible Bee (next Saturday!), unpacking from camp, and preparing for college, which begins in three days! 

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to live at home with my wonderful family and go to Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, IA, where my dad works as a professor of music. I have lived around FBBC all my life, and it has always been my dream to be a student there. And now here I am.

I always thought I would feel older when I reached college age, but I don't:) As I buy a backpack, laptop, binders, and textbooks, I wonder where my life has gone!!!! What will my life be like in five years? Ten? The past few years of high school have flown by, and I know that life continues to pick up pace from here on out! 

One of the things that God taught me this summer is that my life is not about me. It's really not, folks. The way I use my time and invest my energy shows where my focus is. If my life is all about me, then I am serving the God of myself, and ultimately, sin and Satan. But if my life is all about bringing glory to God, then it should look differently!  My time should be spent in giving of myself to others, serving without selfish motivies. My witness should be bold and effective, since Christ is living in me and He is the desire of my heart!  My spirit should be joyful and sincere, because nothing I do is of my own strength, but because of His spirit who dwells in me!  My focus should be on eternity, because I have only approximately 80 years here, in which my flesh decays and I struggle with sin, but then! Oh the bliss! Freedom from death, from sorrow, from crying! Free from pain...the former things have passed away! 
Why would I want to live my life in such a way that I regret it for all eternity?

So my life is not my own. It belongs to my ONE MASTER, the Lord Jesus Christ. I am His slave. And it is a life full of abundant joy to be His slave!  The buck stops with Him, the power comes from Him, and the glory belongs to Him. I am just His messenger, His tool...and yet, I am His child, His friend. The thought takes my breath away.

That's what has been going on my life! Lord willing, from now on, I will be more consistent in posting, but if not...well, it's not about this blog either. As long as I'm bringing glory to Him with what I'm doing, I won't worry about it:)