(So…as my last post was a ranting, raving bit of words that were probably too harsh, I shall go back to being sweet and flowery here…)

What a month! God is so infinitely good.

I have just two of the most glorious weekends of my life.

May 13-15 held the first ever GenerationNEXT Retreat, here in Pennsylvania, and despite my worries and rattling nerves, it was smashing success. I wrote about it before, so I won’t get all mushy over it again now. :P I’m just still tickled pink that it all worked out as good as it did. Nearly enough to keep my hyped up for a long time!

I didn’t even bother unpacking everything from the Retreat, because two weeks later, I got to go the Ohio Grace Ministries Great Lakes Bible Conference in Wilmot Ohio! I got to listen to some wonderful speakers, meet amazing new people, build friendships, even to play Ninja and dance! :D I filled a dozen or more pages in my book with notes from the sessions, and each time wished I could write faster because I missed so many things. I was even in tears at one point over the pure awesomeness of our God, and how He laid little mysteries in the Bible that prove His infinity. The energy in the room was overpowering. The messages were incredible. I left so filled up and encouraged and strengthened; honestly, how anyone could have not felt the power and uplifting encouragement at that meeting is beyond me. I feel sorry for anyone who can go to something like that and not be affected by it in the most glorious way.

One of the coolest things was that many of the people at the conference were aware of GenerationNEXT, and they even invited me to stand up and speak about it! I was shaking like a leaf and I don’t know how I managed to get through it, but it was really great and I was so encouraged to see how supportive everyone was of our ministry! Next time, though, I need to be standing in FRONT of the podium…I could barely see over it (no short jokes).

The next few months hold even more adventure, and I absolutely can’t wait. God is so wonderful. He is my all in all. He continues to test my heart, I’m sure to keep my humble, and every time brings me some new bit of wisdom borne out of my heartache and trials to add to my belt. I know I’m not done learning. I doubt I ever will be. The lessons don’t get easier, though I wish they did. But the hurt seems to sting for less time and the peace comes quicker.
Often times, I feel like Catherine Marshall, who, after years of battling illness, declared to God that if He wanted, she would be content being an invalid for the rest of her life because she knew He had a purpose for it. Catherine Marshall is one of my biggest heroes, so I think of that story a lot. It encourages me to remember that, although I can’t see it, there’s a big purpose for the things I go through. And maybe the purpose isn’t for me, but for someone else. So I am content. I can bloom where I’m planted and wait.
“The most difficult thing—but an essential one—is to love life, to love it even while one suffers, because life is all. Life is God and to love life means to love God.” –Leo Tolstoy