For Mr. Acuff

It has been too long since I have updated my blog, my apologies!  I thought this would be a great opportunity to update everyone on my life.  Life lately has been a weird mix of things from volunteering at Children's Hospital to meeting with friends weekly to watch The Office and Survivor to training to run a half marathon to traveling to the North Shore recently.  Each of these four things have been teaching me a lot and this has been a time of challenges and growth.  

Challenges - First of all I feel like a little bit of a wimp because I am only doing a half marathon, but it is hard non the less and I ate a lot of ribs this summer which I feel like I am dragging behind me every time I run.  I mean I REALLY ate a lot of ribs this summer!  No regrets, it is just making running hard and it has been teaching me commitment and a bit of sacrifice and discipline.  What I have learned is that I should be as disciplined with my faith a lot of the time.  It is something I am continuing to grow in, being consistent!  

Children's - Man this has just shown me again how much I love kids!  It is amazing there.  Somedays are extremely challenging, some are incredibly rewarding.  It is amazing seeing such sick kids with so much joy and life.  It has challenged me to not sweat these small things that daily come my way that I worry about way too much and focus more on things that are really important!  

The Office/Survivor - What can I say?  It has taught me that laughing is important.  It also has been a blessing to have such amazing friends!  

North Shore - This one day trip was amazing!  We camped in a parking lot, hiked a few miles, had a dog pee on our tent, enjoyed s'mores on Lake Superior and got really cold.  It was beautiful though!  One of the ways I can see God the most is just in the things that surround us and one of the places I love the most is the North Shore.  I will close with this verse that I love from Psalms - 

65:6-7 - "Who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves..."

Savannah

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I just returned home from my 3rd summer with a youth misions organization called Youthworks.  I spent my summer serving in Savannah, GA.  A normal week for us consists of 70 youth from all over the country converging in Savannah and serving in a variety of different ways.  These youth are in either middle or high school and they come for a week at a time.  We painted homes in Savannah as well as volunteered at about 6 different urban ministries.  

My team of three other college age students chose Matthew 11:28-30 as our verse for the summer.  I was amazed how this verse had daily meaning for me and also for my staff.  It is amazing how often we try to handle everything on our own and carry all the events of our day right on our own shoulders.  About midway through the summer I was worn out completely from our daily schedule and also just from situations that would come forward and I would try to handle completely on my own.   I was challenged half way through the summer to remember the verse our staff had chosen and apply it in my life.  It was amazing how God lifted the daily things that I struggled with off of my shoulders.  

I imagined that letting go and letting God take care of these things meant I wasn't doing my job.  If I let go of things I must be letting things slip by and not fully caring for others needs.  I came to realize that it just wasn't the case.  I realized that I can handle things that come by doing the best I possibly can with them.  I also realized that I don't however have to let those things consume me.  God is asking me to do my best and then let Him worry about the rest.  God only is asking for my best and to leave the worrying to Him!