prayers and camp songs

i can't believe the ridiculous box that i put God in -- that we all put God in.  God is so big and works in so many ways…. and i'm pretty sure i miss it 99% of the time.  i feel like every time i recognize God working, it's some crazy thing that i can't believe--but why?  'oh my word -- God is doing these amazing things in my life!' OF COURSE HE IS. He always is.  He's good.  He's love.  He wants everyone to know His love and grace and that looks so different to everyone and in everyone.

i was just talking to a friend who has been in my life nearly forever.  we come from extremely similar families, the same hometown, are less than two months apart in age, but our lives are so different.  we now live over 3,000 miles apart and she's married and has three sweet little girls (one i have yet to meet…).  today we were sharing prayer requests and she asked me to pray for her sick little girls and rest for their family.  although i know she influences so many people's lives, she has three little lives that she is pouring into constantly.  three little girls she gets to tell about Jesus and show His love to.  that's incredible.  i know lots of people have kids, but i am just so in awe about the opportunity she has every. single. day. to teach them about Jesus and show them what loving Jesus looks like.

i asked her to please pray for me and the coffee dates i have coming up with senior high girls.  they are incredible and i love spending time with them.  we have a lot of laughs and ridiculous conversations, but i want to be real with them, too.  they each have so much going on in their lives and i want to be able to really hear their hearts and be able to pour truth into their lives.  i want to be able to offer them the truth of what God has for them, not whatever random thought happens to pop into my head.  i know God can give me those thoughts, but some of them might be me.  these opportunities i am planning for, but what other opportunities to i experience daily in which i can share God's love, truth, and grace?  how often do i recognize those?  and how often do i 100% miss them?

two of my senior high girls are on a flight right now on their way back from uganda.  over their spring break they chose to fly to uganda with a group from their school where they got to visit different schools and orphanages and i'm sure many other adventures, which i can't wait to hear about. while they were at one of the places, they were asked to sing songs with them.  earlier today i was tagged in a video on instagram of the kids in this school singing and doing motions to one of our camp songs about Jesus.  i'm so proud of these girls for taking the opportunity to go to africa and choosing to take an opportunity to teach these children a song about God.  they could have chosen any song about anything, but they chose one about God.

i am so thankful that God can and does work in everything.
in families.
in coffee date conversations.
in camp songs.

not home yet.

two weeks from today marks my return to alaska until october.  i feel like i've been in ohio for a really long time, but i also feel like there's so much i didn't get to do and so many people i didn't get to see.  ideally, i would stay here longer to see more people, do more things, not miss any birthdays, family parties, etc. etc.  

on the other hand, i feel like i've been gone from alaska for so long.  being here i've missed holidays, birthday parties, camp events, and all sorts of things with my friends there.    

i found this quote last summer and loved it so much that i even mod-podged it.  

see?

this quote resonates with my heart so much.  
my life has been quite rich and most of that richness lies in ohio and alaska.  

i feel like i have two homes.
two families.
two sets of friends.
two communities that know, love and care for me.

it's such a blessing, but sometimes it's really hard, too.  i get to experience so, so much, but when i'm experiencing those things, it means i'm missing something or someone at my other 'home'.

i nearly always feel at home, but a piece of me always feels like something's missing, too. 

and that's because it is...

'for the world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come' 

hebrews 13:14

how good is God to teach me His truths through my everyday life?

ohio and alaska neither one are my true home, but i'm thankful for the two replacements God has given me for now and i'm thankful to each of you for being a part of those lives.

-c-