Part of my Heart

This summer I got the privilege to work for the second summer in a row at Camp Vesper Point, a kid's camp on the lake in Soddy Daisy, TN that has become another home to me; part of my own heart. While this summer sparked and grew the same love that I established for the place last summer, it was also wonderously different and uncomparable to my experience last year. It's been fun to reflect on my time there, what it meant to me, all the memories i will take away with me, and what all i learned during the 2ish months that i was there. It's hard to explain to people, and really hard to help them understand just what a special place it is unless you've actually EXPERIENCED it. But I have, however, sat down and tried to de-brief my thoughts for you. (I did this last year too, and it's fun to look back and parallel the different experiences and see how each summer made it's own lasting impression in my life...)

What I learned:
-Intentionality is important
-How VITAL prayer is.
-That wisdom is ours if we ask for it. (James 1:5)
-That the grace of God really is abounding and impacts people in a number of ways.
-Working together for the sake of the cross is a very unifying thing.
-Antibiotics rock
-Those who are hard to love are probably the ones that need it the most.
-How to ride a horse!
-That I really admire and respect maturity
-Pouring out is important, but so is being fed.
-That my camp friends are irreplaceable
-That learning how to slalom is no easy task.
-A lot more about myself in general.
-That God will work it out in due time.
-That I can be a successful JOURNALER! Like, a for real JOURNAL that’s not ONLINE!
-Great convos with great people bring me great joy.
-What the word and concept of grace really, truly means.
-That God can, wants to, and will use me.
-That honesty is key to a genuine friendship.
-How beautiful God is. That creation and relationships and emotions and were MADE FOR US. BECAUSE HE LOVES US.
-That 2009 was the year of TICKS.
-Intimate relationships are needed, and to be sought after
-That dying to self/ living for Christ really is a DAILY thing.
-That Camp Vesper Point will forever be another home to me; that I’ll always take with me a piece of it wherever I go.


Favorites from the Summer:
-Reilly and Julia’s cornhole celebration
-"testing" out the boat
-Jacob Belissimo’s testimony
-Taylor throwing up in my face
-Winning Dock Party x2
-everything about truth or dare night
-Little Brown Church
-Snail Mail
-dinner with Emily Geyer on my 24
-my spurgle story
-my week as Miss Miscellaneous
-Morning ski ride on Kelsey Bull’s birthday
-ENTP's: they're good at man things.
-getting to do TAPS!
-waking up to Bethany Dillon’s song “Waking Up”
-showering in the lake and going to the bathroom in the woods when we were without water
-being side kick of Media Counsel
-The Kelsey
-The HOEDOWN THROWDOWN
-mine and Eleanor’s late night chats
-I’m On A Mule
-Dr. Dooley’s Father’s Day sermon
-shaving cream cabin activity
-the cougar story
-taco day
-Lizzy Walley
-julia’s introduction
-FNL
-Nurse Lynn.
-...but they have GREAT hair
-beach escapes with Katie W.
-True Colors and Snorta
-waking up cabin 9
-“I’m outta here yall… peace.”
-Space Jam and N-Sync dance parties
-counselor lunch day (!)
-smoothies from the kitchies
-becoming a part of the club that has conquered living in the HOLE.
-my numerous breaks to the media cave/ kitchen
-FINALLY getting to speak at vesper point.
-Kelsey Palm getting thrown off the pony
-campers thinking buntin and I were married
-any time there was Fruit in the Fridge
-my bop dance on top of the speakers
-“Does your mom have a big butt?”
-Any tube ride Taylor and I went on
-chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
-Jazzersize with Summer
-counselor hunt dates with Kelsey Bull
-playing Rooster on the Aqua Tramp
-the dream team with joel and jules
-the night i got TWO Yahtzees!
-living in the CABINETTE!
-Nasty Tribes
-Game night at the Gatehouse
-talking about going to sit on the grass
-staff worship with Ted
-Jacob's insecure napkin
-friends joining me at my home church every Sunday
-being cool enough to make it on the fail video... TWICE.
-remembering campers from last year
-having random campers come up to me and say, “hey, I remember you from last year!”
-girl trip to IKEA

For summer pictures, go HERE and check out my full album!