The Life and Times of Yours Truly

Tomorrow, at precisely 5:50pm, I will walk into Room 11 and sing for Mr. Coates and Mrs. Broge. At 5:55, I will walk out, either a Choralaire, a Royalaire, a Chamber Choir member…

Or nothing.

If you wouldn’t mind sending some white light and energy my way, it would be greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow is the judgement day, tomorrow we’ll discover what our God in Heaven has in store!

One more dawn

One more day

One day more!

I have conformed. I have joined the masses. I have thrown myself into the dark pit of obsession occupied by the entirity of the world’s population.

Sarah Beth Kissel is now a YouTube-er. SparkofCreation24.

Prepare to be amazed.

(to understand the title, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0A7Kq-hKoI)

I read a headline about the Senate Armed Services Committee possibly revising this online today. I didn’t know what it was, so I did a little research (following is an excerpt from an online encyclopedia article). I almost inhaled my gum. Did you know about this? I think I’m going to have a heart attack.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT) is the common term for the policy banning openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from serving in the United States military, as mandated by federal law Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654). The policy prohibits anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because “it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.”

The act prohibits any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces. The “don’t ask” part of the policy indicates that superiors should not initiate investigation of a service member’s orientation in the absence of disallowed behaviors, though credible and articulable evidence of homosexual behavior may cause an investigation.”

Really? Are you kidding me? When our country and our world need courageous, upstanding people to defend and take care of it, now more than ever, our government has the snobbish audacity to turn away anyone who isn’t STRAIGHT? Not anyone who isn’t sane, isn’t safe, isn’t physically or mentally fit, isn’t trained, isn’t trustworthy, isn’t capable.

Isn’t straight.

I suppose the silver lining is: at least we’re not burning them at the stake anymore.

Today my sister informed me that she has discovered that various foods at the ZMS Cafeteria bounce.

Foods like hot dogs. And muffins.

Is one of your eyebrows arched? Good. We’re on the same page.

Recently she’s tried being vegetarian, so she asked the lunch ladies if any of the meat items served could be made vegetarian.

To which the lunch lady replied, “All of our meat is vegetarian.”

I’ll let you read that one more time.

Is the other eyebrow arched? Good. We’re on the same page.

Scientists all over the world are getting big bucks for trying to figure out what has caused the recent spike in cancer. More power to them, but this 15-year-old has the answer right here:

VEGETARIAN MEAT!

Everyone go get a copy of this week’s Harbinger and read the feature.

This is what I love about high school and the people in it: no one is afraid to say what needs to be said just because somebody might not like it. In middle school, that took courage. In high school, the only pre-req is a mouth. You’ve got something we need to know? Let’s hear it.

“Refreshing” doesn’t seem to cover it. Contrary to popular belief, there are a few liberals still here; they haven’t all left just yet.

PTL.

You know what’s great?

When you’re standing in the bathroom of ZCHS washing your hands at the end of an 8-hour rehearsal (which was supposed to start at 10am, then got moved to noon, then got moved to one, then didn’t really start until 2:30) after only getting about 5 hours of sleep the night before because you got home from the IU game at midnight and then Claire wanted to watch “Felicity” and “Ocean’s 11″ and you’re tired and impatient and so, so sick of singing “Kill the beast!” and you’re standing there looking into the mirror at the haggard, heavily made-up face staring back at you…

and the fire alarm goes off.

And you and that haggard, heavily made-up face fly out the bathroom without drying your hands and through the dressing room and down the Hall of Mirrors with their Hollywood lights (and your heart is racing and your head is pounding and your ears are ringing) and through the stage doors and through the Crew’s “secret” door and out into an auditorium filled with smoke and panicking performers.

And you hear Josh the Techie yelling “It was that (bleepin’) fog machine! Un-be-freakin-lievable!” and Mrs. Ruddell yelling “Relax! Help the orchestra with their instruments WATCH THAT BASS!” and Mrs. Wagoner musing “I pray this doesn’t happen opening night” and you’re thinking the exact same thing. Along with ARE YOU KIDDING ME? But that doesn’t come until a few moments later.

And then you join the flood of cast, crew, and pit members in the haul out the side exit into the parking lot and you all huddle in the cold and wait for the firemen to arrive and turn the blasted thing off.

And then, as you’re standing there feeling pretty darn miserable, you hear music. You turn around and you see that the pit has arranged themselves into an ensemble out on the lawn and has begun to play one of their pieces. This is going to sound ridiculous, but for an instant my mind flew back to that scene in “Titanic” when everyone is panicking because the ship they worked so, so hard to build seems to be sinking, and while everyone else is in a downright awful mood, the stringed quartet stands on the deck in the midst of chaos and plays.

And plays and plays and plays. Until the lifeboats are gone, until the ship goes down… until the firemen arrive!

And suddenly there arose from the people a great shout! Sirens blare down Mulberry Road and into the parking lot as our fearless leaders- Mrs. Ruddell, Mrs. Lions, Mrs. Wagoner, and Mr. Jones- walk into the blazing light side by side to save the day.

You know what’s great?

Spending your entire Saturday on stage, working so hard, feeling exhausted, taking a moment to step back and soak it all in, having that moment interrupted by screaming fire alarms, being scared out of your false eyelashes, running out into the PAC, seeing the awesome fog, hearing Josh swear, seeing the pit try to evacuate a bass, standing out in the cold, wanting to just fall over dead, hearing the orchestra play in the midst, seeing the firemen pull up in all their glory, watching the Fearsome Four ride into the sunset, wanting to weep from way too many different emotions, being so happy.

That’s great.

Hello, world. This is Sarah, world. It’s so nice to be back home where I belong…

It’s true I haven’t blogged in forever (precisely 2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days. Creepy.) so I know I have a lot to cover since I informed everyone which date we should go see Ms. Reed in Evita. Here’s a quick preview of posts to come (with the appropriate accompaniment):

1. Across The Pond: Sarah Starts High School (“Opening: A New World,” Songs for a New World)

2. Zionsville’s Own Celebrity: Ms. Reed is Like Buttah (“High, Flying Adored” / “Rainbow High,” Evita)

3. Freshman Class Shows Off It’s Intelligence: Upperclassmen Hate Us (“Look Down,” Les Miserables)

4. A Haunting in Zionsville: My Teacher is a Descendant of Morgause (“Tubular Bells,” The Exorcist)

5. Officers and Gentlemen, Minus the Carry-Off: Rec+ Soccer Ends (“Grace Kelley,” MIKA)

6. Opening the Kimono: Sarah Auditions for the Musical (“One,” Chorus Line)

7. Alert the Press: Gave Concert and Didn’t Suck! (“Ain’t We Got Fun,” Doris Day)

8. Kill The Beast! Guess What? He’s Already Dead: Am Rehearsing Every Day (“No Business like Show Business,” There’s NB Like SB)

9. Man, That Grass Looks Green… We Miss ZMS (“Memory,” Cats)

10. Return to the Northland: The Kissel Family Manages to Avoid Sharks (“Kokomo,” Beach Boys)

Do I really need to blog about all this, now? I mean, really. With a playlist like that, don’t you kinda get the idea?

Dolly will never go away again…

Tonight was my first Rec+ soccer practice, my first time in several seasons playing for someone other than Mrs. Munley. It’s also my first experience with a co-ed team.

Things were bound to be interesting.

At 6:00 I walked up to a field of about fifteen shirtless High School guys, none of which could have been younger than juniors, and three girls. Attempting to get past the immediate I’m-standing-in-the-middle-of-a-field-with-a-load-of-half-naked-17-year-old-guys fact, I quickly averted my eyes and checked out the other girls. One I knew from tennis a few years ago, same with the other from soccer, but not well. The third…

The third girl was a little taller than me, with a muscular body, deep tan and white teeth. She looked once in my direction, then turned back to one of the guys to continue “chatting.”

I was really hoping co-ed wasn’t going to be like this, but no such luck. Her shirt was off within the first 15 minutes of practice, allowing her to jog around the field in a black sports bra and ridiculous abs like an Adidas model.

The only difference was, I’ve never seen an Adidas model play so aggressively. Apparently, she has such a love of the game and passion to succeed that she felt the need to smash her entire body up against the guys to steal the ball every few minutes.

Oh, Lord.

Anyway, I determined to let her live in her universe while I stayed in mine. The first 10 minutes of practice, Coach just yelled, “Keep-away. Go!” and threw a ball at us.

It was awkward. I got very few touches on the ball because everyone simply ran around me. I’m not going to say I’m the worst on the team, because I’m not bad! I’ve played my whole life. But there’s no way I was a match for any of these players. They were intuitive, proactive, and could run. These boys were tall, and ran like horses.  I stood and watched them play, totally in awe. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, I’ll be learning a lot this season.

After 10 minutes of keep-away, we divided into teams and scrimmaged. That went much better, as I played defense. I got about 5 or 6 touches on the ball in the hour we played, and blocked some shots. I could feel them watching me and sizing me up, so I just did my best. Mostly, I observed.

It was one big Mulan flashback. Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns…I am the one under-qualified girl in the army, and I have a long way to go. Kate Hudson flirted, laughed, and smashed, and the boys pretty much said whatever came into their minds at the moment.

So here I am: at the bottom of the totem pole looking up at teen-aged Beckhams and Jennifer Aniston gone jock.  

Huzzah.

I was flipping through the Quote Books the other day, and decided that the best of them need to be not only documented on the eternal Internet , but shared with the world.

People of the 2006-2007 Plantan classroom, I give you: The Best of the Plantan Quote Book.

VOLUME I 

- Stinky Wiley Harpies!

          MP, 9/18/06

- Just call it ESP… Extra-Stylish and Pretty!

          MP, 9/25/06

- Rain makes you loud, and I don’t know why.

          MP, 10/17/06

- Ryan, if you don’t stop playing with that bat, I’m going to use it on you!

          MP, 10/20/06

- I could knock down a whole wall today, and no administrators would be around to find out!

          MP, 10/20/06

- “Chin Up!” (Class theme song)

          MP, 10/20/06

- I was actually feeling guilty. I was thinking, “Gosh, this class has a lot of homework for tonight…” Whoosh! Guilt gone!

          MP, 10/30/06

- Let’s kick their FPS bottoms!

          MP, 10/31/06

- Let’s get on to the really big topic… what are we having for lunch?

          MP, 11/1/06

- You have to trim the flappies off your papers. If you don’t, I’ll be charging you for my next therapy session.

          MP, 11/8/06

- (With conceited sigh) Even I am not perfect!

          MP, 11/10/06

- MP: In his day, Robert Redford was hot!

  Students: Gasp!

  MP: What?

  Student: It’s just weird hearing a teacher say “hot”…

  MP: What’s wrong with hot? Hot is a good thing to be!

          MP, unknown

- Get back to your rooms… desks!

          MP, 11/27/06

- Orange you glad we don’t tell vulgar jokes in this class?

          MP, 11/27/06

- Sarah is mean, like margarine!

          MP, 11/29/06

- We have pretty much killed this period, so I may as well sit down.

          MP, 11/30/06

- Listen to this little piece of wisdom!

          MP, 12/6/06

- Put this stuff in your mouth so you stop talking!

          MP, 12/6/06

- Oh, Adam, did you hear “hot” and think we were talking about you?

          MP, 12/6/06

- Boys and girls, I can’t concentrate with all this noise, and we know that it’s really all about me.

          MP, 12/11/06

- My last nerve… you’re on it!

          MP, 12/13/06

-  Art thou kidding me?

          Kelsey, 12/15/06

- Excuse me, I have to go beat these children…

          MP, 12/15/06

- MP: It’s winter, everything’s dead. So now here comes a bird! Boom! He’s dead!

  Alec: That’s the power of Windex!

          MP/Alec, 12/18/06

- No one should have that much fun talking about blood and guts in my classroom, I wave a pink wand!

          MP, 1/8/07

- I think sporks are overrated. I’m getting a fork.

          MP, 12/21/06

- STAB ME IN THE EYEBALL!

          MP, 11/14/06

- “Crossing the Bar”: And may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark…

  MP: Don’t cry for me, Argentina!

          MP, 1/10/07

- It’s Friday, my brain is fried.

          MP, 1/12/07

- …I do, however, think it’s rather disruptive to pull pencils out of your nose- or pretend to sneeze them out- and yes, I can still see you! I know, you thought I didn’t notice.

          MP, 1/12/07

- Hailey: I must admit, that was awful.

  MP: I think I’ll get a cup of cofful!

          Hailey/MP, 1/16/07

- “I suffer from iambic pentameter, with a case of assonance and consonants.” Or you can order it: “I’d like the iambic pentameter with a side of assonance and consonants.”

          MP, 1/16/07

- Have sympathy on me, I have to listen to this symphony! I will be the director because I have always wanted to be, and you will be the orchestra because you will do as I say because I am the Queen of the Known Universe!

          MP, 1/16/07

- Let’s mark this down in history: Alec is going to read poetry aloud!

          MP, 1/16/07

- Oh, it is so exhausting being as spunky as I am!

          MP, unknown

- Kyle, unhand him! He’s wearing beads, you can’t attack a man wearing beads!

          MP, 1/19/07

- Ryan C: Can you say it in his voice?

  MP: It would sound like this… (long silence) Dead!

          MP, 1/18/07

- MP: Leave him be, he has to write!

  Alec: I’m done writing!

  MP: Did you replace the word “stink”?

          MP, 1/22/07

- MP: What is a pilgrim soul?

  Eric: Someone who loves turkey!

          Eric, 1/29/07 

- Alec: I’m not getting my point across!

  Aaron: You’re taking this from a guy who eats Pixie Stix for lunch every day.

          Aaron, 1/29/07

VOLUME II 

- Hailey, I’m going to nail-ey you!

          MP, 1/31/07

- There is a disease called Male Refrigerator Blindness!

          MP, 2/1/07

- Okay, quiet! My bucket of self-esteem is empty now!

          MP, 2/1/07

- MP: I am talking! You are not! I am visiting with people! You are not! Return to your homes, o wandering gypsies of yesteryear! Also known as Sir Alec and Sir Aaron!

  Aaron: It was Sir Ryan too!

          MP/Aaron, 2/1/07

- “Explain how a drum makes a sound wave.” Some of you put “Hit it with a stick.” Congratulations! I’ll hit you with a stick, I bet you’ll make a sound!

          Sweeney, 2/2/07

- These are words I thought I’d never say: Zach, stop quacking!

          MP, 2/6/07

- Alec: See it was a new barber- the other one quit- so they couldn’t do my style.

  MP: So you were educating the man?

  Alec: Um, it was a woman.

  MP: Well they learn faster. HA!

          MP, 2/7/07

- Excuse me, I’m having my chocolate, I’ll be all right in a few minutes…

          MP, 2/7/07

- Aaron! You may be joining Zachary… in the dungeon!

          MP, 2/23/07

- MP: I feel like I’m living in a beehive… and I’m not even getting to be the queen bee!

  Aaron: Well I’m in the beehive dungeon!

  Kristen: With little cells! Get it?

          MP/Aaron/Kristen, 2/23/07

- This is the challah. Barbra would say “hallah,” but we’re going to say “challah.” These you can just say like this: “candlesticks.”

          MP, 2/26/07

- Kyle, the whole blasted novel is less than 200 pages! If we can’t finish that in a week, we have a problem, Houston!

          MP, 2/27/07

- … and would you two please stop shooting each other! Again, words I thought I’d never say!

          MP, 2/27/07

- Yes, I am showing cultural prejudice… toward LOUD CHILDREN!

          MP, 3/2/07

- All right, enough “I Had A Bloody Head” stories!

          MP, 3/12/07

- EXCUSE ME! IF YOU DON’T BE QUIET YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THIS FOR HOMEWORK! SIT DOWN, RYAN CONRAD! Ah, that felt good!

          MP, 3/13/07

- We’re having trouble focusing. I know, we all need a little cheese bread, so do I…

          MP, 3/14/07

- I’m having a moment! Ahh! He just figured that out using, Heaven help us, Caesar’s English!

          MP, 3/15/07

- When I’m old and shuffling around the nursing home repeating myself, I’ll be really good at it. Do you know why? Because I do it now!

          Mrs. East, 3/20/07

- Zach! It is extremely disrespectful to talk above your classmates! I can handle it, because I can take you down!

          MP, 3/22/07

- Why are you all eating candy like it’s okay? You don’t need candy at 8:02 in the morning!

          MP, 3/22/07

- Don’t make me hurt you!

          MP, 3/22/07

- I’m speechless… now how often does that happen?

          MP, 4/2/07

- (Kids thunder down the hallway)

  Kyle: Run, Forrest, run!

  Aaron: More like run, dinosaurs, run!

          Aaron, 4/3/07

- See, this is the problem with guys: you so think that it’s all about you, that I’m talking to someone else and you’re thinking, “Wait, I can’t have a son, I’m a boy!” You must have gotten an A in CPR!

          MP, 4/5/07

- This has been a great story-time day. “What happened in school today, Kelsey? Ryan had a son!”

          Kelsey, 4/5/07

- If anyone under the age of 40 talks to me tomorrow I’m going to step on them!

          MP, 4/14/07

- … and in Mrs. Plantan’s Classroom: “They couldn’t stop importuning me.”

          MP, 4/16/07

- Zachery Urbanek, I might have to come over there and hurt you!

          MP, 4/16/07

- Bossy 101? I got an A+! Extra-credit! They wanted me to teach the course!

          MP, 4/17/07

- Hailey: Zach, would you shut the heck up?

  MP: Yes, Zach, would you shut the heck up?

          MP, 4/30/07

- Alec: Where’s the red apple?

  MP: It’s going to be found as a blunt instrument at the scene of the crime!

  Aaron: It’s going to be found jammed down your throat!

          MP/Aaron, 4/30/07

- MP: If you don’t get control of yourselves, I will show you the sour side of Sears! I WILL BRING OUT THE POWER TOOLS! You’re trying my patience!

  Aaron: Yes, master.

          MP/Aaron, 4/30/07 

- MP: Not everything that pops into your brain needs to come out of your mouth. Install the filter, please!

  Sarah: She’s starting to sound like Mary Poppins…

          MP/Sarah, 4/30/07

- MP: Not all mysteries have to be murders. They can be-

  Zach: Poisoning!

          Zach, 5/1/07

- Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu!

(Re: married people checking out others)

          MP, 5/2/07

- A², move away from each other!

          MP, 5/9/07

- Go away! Let me eat my hippie food in peace!

          MJP, 5/17/07

- #1: The story began on… not what page, what date! Zach! I’m sending you on to a 7^th grade Language Arts class, or am I?

          MP, unknown

- (Rings bell furiously and pounds the Easy Button)

  Easy Button: That was easy.

  MP: NOT!

          MP, 5/21/07

- Hailey: Jonathon, shut up!

  Jonathon: Make me!

  MP: I might!

          MP, 2/23/07

- I am such a technology geek! I am the bomb! I am… I am that and so much more!

          MP, 5/25/07

- Now, how about some old-fashioned humor? I want the first Quote Book!

          Hailey, 5/31/07

- I now know the meaning of this last 7^th period! So I don’t cry when I put you on the bus! So I can say, “Thank goodness!”

          MP, 5/31/07

*Hums wistfully* Memories… light the corners of my mind… misty water-color memories… of the way we were…

This past week, I have been MIA because I was at SpringHill Summer Camp in Seymour, Indiana. As many of you know, I love SpringHill with every fiber of my being. It is my favorite place in the whole world (well, tied with ZMS).

SpringHill is where I go to recharge my spiritual batteries. Every morning when we wake up we have Solo Time, which is alone time to pray and study the Bible story/passage for that day and answer questions about it. After each camp activity, we talk about how the activity relates to our walk with Christ, then pray about it. Before lunch we have Focus, which is a time to worship with the band and watch two skits, one about the Bible story that day and one called Real Life, which is a series of skits that relate to our daily lives. After Focus we break up into small groups lead by counselors to discuss what we heard, saw, and thought. Before bed we have Club, which is similar to Focus. We also pray before each meal and after small groups. Basically, it’s a hard-core God week.

All of that religion sounds like enough to take up a day, but we have tons of stuff between. After Solo Time we take a tractor (with a wagon on the back) to breakfast, walk to our first activity, walk to the lake for our water activity, tractor to lunch, walk to competition, walk to 3 hours of horses (which was my major), tractor to afternoon activity, walk to dinner, walk to cabins for showers and evening activity, walk to club, and tractor back to the cabins. Insert God, and a day at SpringHill looks like this:

Wake up (6:45am), Solo Time, breakfast (8:30), morning activity, discuss/pray about activity, water time, discuss/pray about water time, Focus, small group discussions/prayer, lunch (1:30pm), competition, 3 hours of horses, discuss/pray about horses, afternoon activity, discuss/pray about activity, dinner (7:30), evening activity, showers, Club, discuss/pray about Club, bed (11:00pm).

It’s the most exhausting, amazing week of my year. When you’re at SpringHill, you see, hear, and experience things that open your eyes to the beauty of life and wonder of God. I don’t even know where to start.

Actually, I do: counselors.

I really wish I had a better word, because I’m using it often, but there just isn’t one: amazing. SpringHill counselors are absolutely amazing. I know I’ve told you all tons about the counselors I got crazy-close with last year, so I won’t touch on them. They’re a blog all of their own.

This year, I was blessed to have two great counselors, Rachel and Ayla. They were funny, caring, and their faith was inspiring. We had a great week together. There was also another counselor in our sister cabin named Casey who absolutely rocked my socks! She was strong, funny and unlike anyone I have ever met. When I first saw her, she was doing the Charleston in the middle of the road! I later learned that she was a fabulous dancer, able to do classic steps from the 20s. She told me she was also a ballroom dancer in college, and our love of music made us buddies throughout the week. She had a great hug and I totally loved her.

I became good friends with our Area Director (overseer of the counselors) Sarah for similar reasons. She was tiny, very blond, and another wicked dancer. She had a great voice and a theatrical presence that couldn’t be ignored. She told me she was in tons of show choir stuff in High School and had been a dancer for most of her life. She was hilarious and inspiring, and I loved her.

The counselors are put under ridiculous stress when working at camp, both physically and emotionally. Their only free day is Saturday, because campers leave Friday and arrive Sunday. They get up earlier and go to bed later than the campers, and they are responsible for making sure we survive the week. On top of that, they are friends, confidants, shoulders to cry on, and trusted advisers to ask about God. They do absolutely everything in their power to make sure every camper every week all summer has the best experience she (or he) can have. Only Superwoman can do that without blinking an eye.

I know that a bunch of counselors had rough weeks personally while I was there. I talked to Ayla about it, and she said she was sorry I had to see that, it wasn’t fair to me. On the contrary, it made everything that much more meaningful, knowing how much these women I loved so dearly were going through and bottling up to make the week about us, and only us. Astounding. To all Term 4 Erebor counselors: you guys rock.

My week was off to a great start just getting to know these exceptional people. But Wednesday was, to date, the best day of my life (yes, even better than Barbra’s concert. Aha! Now I have your attention!).

Wednesday started out dreary with the only rain we received all week. We were stuck in the cabin while Rachel and Ayla pulled each of us aside individually to talk about our faith journey. Concerned that we weren’t going to make it to the zip line, we were all feeling a little dejected. I was sitting on a bottom bunk with my Bible when the door opened. I couldn’t see the face of whomever walked in, but the jeans and voice told me it was Lauren, the wrangler that had been hanging out with us and teaching us in the barn. As happy as I was to see Lauren, the short, skinny, ripped jeans that walked in behind her made my heart skip a beat. It couldn’t be…

It was.

Before I knew it, I had jumped up from the bottom bunk and thrown my arms around Chelsea, tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t believe it! There she was, standing right in front of me, hugging me back like she had never been gone.

For those of you who don’t know, I met Chelsea last year when she was a wrangler that spent a lot of time with my cabin (like Lauren this year). She and I became incredibly close, and it broke my heart when she told me she was a marine and would be leaving for Iraq in two years. I thought I wouldn’t ever see her again, and that was horribly painful. To see her standing in front of me was one of the biggest gifts I’ve ever gotten.

She spent the rest of the day with my friend Morgan and I (turns out Morgan had a similar experience with Chelsea and loved her just as much as I did). It was absolutely God’s plan that we were in the same cabin, and Chelsea had two extra shadows for the day. She ran around everywhere with us, and we had a blast laughing and talking, catching up and remembering the past year. It was a golden day.

We thought she had to leave at 1:30 that afternoon, but she looked at us and said, “There’s no way I’m leaving you guys. I’m going to call my boss and tell him I can’t come to work today.” She was going to spend the night with us and get Morgan and I up early the next morning to watch the SpringHill sunrise together before she left, but the Red Staff (overseers of the whole camp) said no. She remained talking with just us until about 1am, and then drove the 2.5 hours back home. We found out that she had only gotten about 1.5 hours of sleep the night before in order to have time to drive to SpringHill.

I have never been loved like that before, and it was an amazing feeling. Truly, I was absolutely amazed, in the same way God’s love for me amazed me. I didn’t feel like I had done anything to deserve it, and yet I was loved. I will not forget that day with Chelsea for the rest of my life. Forgive my cheese, but it’s really true: I hope I can grow up just like her.

I know earlier I mentioned relationships. While I was there, I became very close with a girl named Morgan. She has already had an unbelievably hard life. Her dad- whom she was very close with- died a few years ago, her mom is already dating someone new, she’s tried drugs, she’s struggled with very severe depression, she has cuts up the insides of her arms (some of which are as much as two centimeters wide), and she’s about to go on probation for breaking a girl’s nose.

She’s also, already, one of the best friends I’ve ever had.

At first, I didn’t know how to be her friend. I’ve never encountered someone so different than me, or who carried so much pain. But we were somehow drawn together by our kindred spirits, and then by Chelsea. Morgan is one of the best girls I’ve ever met, and though neither of us has an idea of what the other’s life is like, we can understand each other and read each other’s mind like sisters. 

On Wednesday, just before Chelsea came in, Morgan told me she was praying. She was praying to God to show her a sign that He really did exist. When she opened the door and stepped outside, she told me all the rain stopped and the sun came out from behind the clouds. When she shared that story at the Closing Day ceremony, there wasn’t a dry eye in the ampitheater. To see Morgan moved to tears by the power and greatness of God is a sight that will stay with me forever. Chelsea, you would have been so proud of her.

Every year, SpringHill changes my life. There’s no doubt that I come home deeply moved, full of love for Christ and a desire to live my life for Him. But when the summer ends and life starts up again, I sometimes find it hard to remain consistant in my faith. I’m asking all of you to please hold me accountable so I can continue to do His work. Ask me how my walk with Christ is coming, or even if I’ve read my Bible that day. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Go to SpringHill. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER.

P.S. My blog isn’t cooperating. For some reason I can’t upload pix onto another page or a post. Arrg. I’ll try again later. Sorry! Consider pix To Be Continued.