I was stoked to see I had ten followers.
Then I realized two are Suzi and two are my mom.
Thanks, you two, for caring double.
So here we go. Short post. I think. We will see how it goes.
This is my life currently:
- Living at camp till mid-November in the gorgeous Redwood forest of the Santa Cruz mountains. My job description here is Host, which pretty much means I'm a waitress but for one-two hundred people a weekend. While I don't directly serve them meals (minus when I work the soup station), I am there to make sure the retreat group's weekend goes smoothly. My other position here is Future Life Staff, meaning I help run zip-line rides, hang out with kids, work the snack shack, and rock out in the dish room with some awesome people who have stayed behind to work camp with me.
-I live with two incredible women, Erin and Samantha. I'm not sure I could have chosen a more amazing house to live in. First of all, Erin and Samantha are godly women. We sat in the living room the other night, all reading or journaling, and just shared what God was speaking to us through scripture. UGH. Melt me. They are both such unique individuals who possess such different skills and talents that I am constantly feeling inspired by both of them. Secondly, we live in a house at camp. A HOUSE. It's perfect, if I may say so myself. Their artistic creativity has turned an empty house into a home. It's so cozy and festive and old-skool and perfect. I love the house, the meals we share in it, and the people who reside here. "God is good" keeps getting more and more real.
-I recently got hired to work with the High School group at the church I attend up here. This means two major things:
A. I got my dream job. I am pretty much the female influence in this High School group. When leaving camp this summer, so many people asked me the dreaded question, "So, what are you doing after camp?" I hated this question because I had NO idea, minus the short-term camp job for September. I told people that my ideal situation would be to work with a high school youth group, but get paid because I need an income. I legitimately thought that I was just a dreamer, because how many people actually get paid for ministry work? And where in the world was I going to look for youth ministry jobs in Santa Cruz? I had no idea where to look or what to do.
And then Jeff called me. My friend Jeff who is the High School Intern at our church. Told me he wanted to talk to me about some "ministry opportunities." These opportunities ended up being that he wanted me on staff -- PAID staff. He knew my heart behind Apostle and he wanted me on staff.
Are you getting this?! I didn't even have to search for a job. God dropped it in my lap. How often does that happen?
I'm literally waiting for something bad to happen because my life just seems too good right now.
So I met with the pastor and he pretty much asks me what I need (financially) to survive and he gives it to me. I told him I couldn't start until October, and he said that's cool.
Like, what?
Yeah no -- this is real.
B. This also means that I am here. Committed. To Santa Cruz. For a while.
It's crazy because what really drew me back to Santa Cruz (my high school girls that I became so close with last summer) seems to be what is keeping me here. While home in the South Bay a couple weeks ago I met with my pastor for lunch. He pretty much told me that if I felt called to Santa Cruz that I needed to "unpack my bags." My response was simply that I didn't have a reason to unpack, because I had nothing keeping me here. I couldn't say that I was staying in Santa Cruz because I didn't know if this is truly where God wanted me. And even now as I write I'm hesitant to say "THIS is why I am here," because I really don't know. All I know is that there is something about this place that draws me in. Let me explain what I mean: The other night we had some friends over for dinner. We played this game "hot seat," which I hate. Pretty much the point of the game is to drill a person for 4 minutes -- ask them whatever question you want and they have to answer. Samantha asked me, "Where is a place you feel most inspired?" Without hesitation, I answered, "Santa Cruz." I explained how there is something about being here that allows me to be more of the person I want to be and who God wants me to be. I'm not sure what it is about the South Bay, but I, for whatever reason, feel tied down to an identity that others hold me to. It's not necessarily bad, but it's just better when I'm here.
I really can't explain it, and I imagine that to those of you who are from South Bay it may seem like I'm turning my nose up to it. But that is SO not it. I love the South Bay and am Redondo Beach's biggest advocate. I love my home, and it will always be so special to me. I just feel like being in Santa Cruz has set me free in a way.
I'll stop. This is sounding weird and slightly new-agey now. I'm not that Santa Cruz, trust me.
So this is my life right now. Working in at a place I love (camp), living with people I admire and respect and have so much fun with (Erin and Samantha), working with some of the most genuinely kind people I know (too many names to write), and preparing to do a job I feel Apostle really trained me for.
I want to cry right now. But I'm too tired. Did I make any sense? I apologize if not. I'll probably read this tomorrow and realize it's complete lack of coherency. Oh well.
God is really good. God really is Jehovah Jireh.
Stay tuned. Until next time, shalom.
Then I realized two are Suzi and two are my mom.
Thanks, you two, for caring double.
So here we go. Short post. I think. We will see how it goes.
This is my life currently:
- Living at camp till mid-November in the gorgeous Redwood forest of the Santa Cruz mountains. My job description here is Host, which pretty much means I'm a waitress but for one-two hundred people a weekend. While I don't directly serve them meals (minus when I work the soup station), I am there to make sure the retreat group's weekend goes smoothly. My other position here is Future Life Staff, meaning I help run zip-line rides, hang out with kids, work the snack shack, and rock out in the dish room with some awesome people who have stayed behind to work camp with me.
-I live with two incredible women, Erin and Samantha. I'm not sure I could have chosen a more amazing house to live in. First of all, Erin and Samantha are godly women. We sat in the living room the other night, all reading or journaling, and just shared what God was speaking to us through scripture. UGH. Melt me. They are both such unique individuals who possess such different skills and talents that I am constantly feeling inspired by both of them. Secondly, we live in a house at camp. A HOUSE. It's perfect, if I may say so myself. Their artistic creativity has turned an empty house into a home. It's so cozy and festive and old-skool and perfect. I love the house, the meals we share in it, and the people who reside here. "God is good" keeps getting more and more real.
-I recently got hired to work with the High School group at the church I attend up here. This means two major things:
A. I got my dream job. I am pretty much the female influence in this High School group. When leaving camp this summer, so many people asked me the dreaded question, "So, what are you doing after camp?" I hated this question because I had NO idea, minus the short-term camp job for September. I told people that my ideal situation would be to work with a high school youth group, but get paid because I need an income. I legitimately thought that I was just a dreamer, because how many people actually get paid for ministry work? And where in the world was I going to look for youth ministry jobs in Santa Cruz? I had no idea where to look or what to do.
And then Jeff called me. My friend Jeff who is the High School Intern at our church. Told me he wanted to talk to me about some "ministry opportunities." These opportunities ended up being that he wanted me on staff -- PAID staff. He knew my heart behind Apostle and he wanted me on staff.
Are you getting this?! I didn't even have to search for a job. God dropped it in my lap. How often does that happen?
I'm literally waiting for something bad to happen because my life just seems too good right now.
So I met with the pastor and he pretty much asks me what I need (financially) to survive and he gives it to me. I told him I couldn't start until October, and he said that's cool.
Like, what?
Yeah no -- this is real.
B. This also means that I am here. Committed. To Santa Cruz. For a while.
It's crazy because what really drew me back to Santa Cruz (my high school girls that I became so close with last summer) seems to be what is keeping me here. While home in the South Bay a couple weeks ago I met with my pastor for lunch. He pretty much told me that if I felt called to Santa Cruz that I needed to "unpack my bags." My response was simply that I didn't have a reason to unpack, because I had nothing keeping me here. I couldn't say that I was staying in Santa Cruz because I didn't know if this is truly where God wanted me. And even now as I write I'm hesitant to say "THIS is why I am here," because I really don't know. All I know is that there is something about this place that draws me in. Let me explain what I mean: The other night we had some friends over for dinner. We played this game "hot seat," which I hate. Pretty much the point of the game is to drill a person for 4 minutes -- ask them whatever question you want and they have to answer. Samantha asked me, "Where is a place you feel most inspired?" Without hesitation, I answered, "Santa Cruz." I explained how there is something about being here that allows me to be more of the person I want to be and who God wants me to be. I'm not sure what it is about the South Bay, but I, for whatever reason, feel tied down to an identity that others hold me to. It's not necessarily bad, but it's just better when I'm here.
I really can't explain it, and I imagine that to those of you who are from South Bay it may seem like I'm turning my nose up to it. But that is SO not it. I love the South Bay and am Redondo Beach's biggest advocate. I love my home, and it will always be so special to me. I just feel like being in Santa Cruz has set me free in a way.
I'll stop. This is sounding weird and slightly new-agey now. I'm not that Santa Cruz, trust me.
So this is my life right now. Working in at a place I love (camp), living with people I admire and respect and have so much fun with (Erin and Samantha), working with some of the most genuinely kind people I know (too many names to write), and preparing to do a job I feel Apostle really trained me for.
I want to cry right now. But I'm too tired. Did I make any sense? I apologize if not. I'll probably read this tomorrow and realize it's complete lack of coherency. Oh well.
God is really good. God really is Jehovah Jireh.
Stay tuned. Until next time, shalom.
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