The color

I can't remember when I heard it, but I once was told to figure out what

 color you wanted your love to be like. 

I used to think maybe rainbow with sparkles. 

Now I want dark blue. 

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Light - written in cursive

I remember what the Milky Way looked like; I saw it in Brazil two years ago. I was in the middle of a village trail when I looked up and saw what I once thought was a cloud, was really the greatest thing that lit up the sky. What I thought was normal, was really more extraordinary than I ever could imagine. 

That's what love is like. It's light that you never knew was bright, until the moment it's delicate rays blinded you. 

That relate-able girl

Welcome to night 5>6>7 of our stay in Pigeon Forge. We've been through training and a week of camp. It's been pretty darn swell. There hasn't been a lot of bad things happen to our team, but that doesn't mean God hasn't been working in our lives.

I really wondered why I returned. I am confident in flying my freak-flag high, so I totally have been.

And then day two of "classroom" training began. And then a girl dissed me. And then I decided to love her. And that was the end of me ever caring about what people thought about me.

And then commissioning happened. And the popular people who were in my youth group...and now work for the same camp that I do... ignored me. And then I stopped caring about them. Because I loved them for far too long.

And then I realized a lot about myself. I have a story to tell. It has a lot of struggle and heartache...but even more hope and happiness and laughter. It's sad that the people who think I'm weird, useless, and ignorable won't ever know it.

I wake up every morning and prepare myself to laugh. I love laughing and smiling. I love God and people too. I love my job. I love it when the students walk in drenched in shingle dust and sweat and smiling. I love when I realize things about God while blowing my hair dry. I love talking to the guy I have a HUGE crush on after a long day. I love my mom and brother and sister. I love that I'm turning 20.

I returned to teach the students and adults that God's story for us includes struggle. I returned to teach them about my struggle, and to be relate-able. I'm the girl who's relate-able. I'm that girl.

It's happening

I'm blogging about my summer.
You've been warned.
Enjoy some music.
Get a tan.
Live loved.