Often when I reach out and love people, I look for results. I want to know that I'm making a difference, that I'm effecting people. I mean, that's not bad, but sometimes I get so caught up in looking for results that I forget to love people. As I was talking to Bethany, most of the time I view people as "outreach projects" but not friends. A lot of the time, even if I don't realize it, I say to God, "God, I work so hard on loving people but I never see any results. Please show me that I'm making a difference because I don't want to keep loving people if I don't see that I'm making a difference." It's a lie from Satan, I believe, that I'm not making a impact on people. It's also a lie that if I don't see effects on others, I'm not making a difference. Camp was a great time in the sense God gave me results. I can imagine God saying, "Alright, I'll give you results!" A couple nights into camp, one of the girls in our group wanted to talk to me. She told me how she felt like she kept on sinning and everyone had given up on her. Her Dad's in prison and her Mom is trying to get a divorce. She said I was the only one she would tell this to. I thought it was so cool that she trusted me enough to tell me that. As the week progressed, a couple other people told us things I'd label "results". Did I love those results? Absolutely! But you know what happened? I started to look down on others and became proud of what "I'd" accomplished, while it was really God. One of the songs we sang with Rush of Fools went, "Not to us, but to your name be the glory." Once I was walking around talking to my youth pastor who asked me why I wanted results so bad. He went on to explain that now he prays that God wouldn't show him results. I can understand what he meant. It's so easy to get distracted or glorify youself when you get results. I don't hate results, but I don't want to get caught up in them. It's so freeing to know that I can just be obedient to God and leave results up to God. My favorite all time quote reads, "God doesn't call us to be successful, but obedient."-Billy Graham.

Rush Of Fools - Undo (Digital Video Version)

This is a song from Rush of Fools, the band at Super Summer. It is a touching song about our failures and God's grace. Kevin, our friend, is the guitarist and back-up vocals. They also have a song called Escape.

Super Summer 2010!

Here's some of Reality Check that went to camp. There was 25 of us.

Me and Paige with our friend, Kevin, from the band Rush of Fools. We had lunch with him and something he said was this: "Jesus plus something equal nothing."

My friend, Nick, killed a bug. He was one of the 7th graders that came along in place of my brother, Andrew.

Me and my friend, Desiree.

The drummer, Jamie, who was absolutely amazing! He was one of the two guys we got to have the devotion with.

The zip-line-fun, but scary. When you got to the top, it was so shaky.

Me and my cousin, Will, by the big bell.

Our speaker, Jamie. One of my favorite things he said was, "If Jesus doesn't fulfill, it's not because he's not satisfying, but because we have an improper appetite."

The theme of Super Summer 2010!

Yesterday I got back from going to camp (Super Summer) with my youth group. I had a great week! We had team water games, an amazing band (Rush of Fools), deep conversations, great messages, and scary obstacle courses and high ropes! The theme of the week was Journey: How to get from here to there. In our chapel twice a day, we learned about the Israelites journey to the promised land and Peter's journey of following Jesus. The team games required team effort and speed and, though we lost, we had a great time being the Orange Beasts! My youth group also had the chance to have a devotion with a couple guys from the band, Kevin and Jamie, two talented and amazing followers of Christ. On top of that, I also got to have lunch with Kevin. On Thrusday night, the last night at the camp, we had an reflective service where we wrote down what God had been teaching us or what we wanted to lay down at the foot of the cross. When we were finished, we went to put it on the cross. I also really enjoyed the group that went. Friday morning we had KP (Kitchen Patrol) duty where we worked in the kitchen, serving good, refilling people's drinks, and cleaning up. I handed out danishes and muffins and told people it would change their life (yeah, I had fun!). One guy was like, "Ya, I'll take it if it'll change my life!!!" Events like this are always great to get to know and connect with people better. It was a great and encouraging time!

Freedom Contest Video

Recently my sister, Rebekah, made a short video about freedom for a contest. I got to act in it (which was fun). We went to the lake where I played my harp and there was a nice breeze. Sometimes it'd blow my harp strings, making a beautiful sound! Comment and tell me what you think. :)
ul and fun!

Slices of LA

The Wednesday night church was amazing! I wish everyone could have been there...Though they were homeless/had been homeless, they were SO thankful! It was so...amazing.

A homeless man on skid row.

Mary and I at Round Table Pizza. Weirdly, it only had one round table.

Me with our friends, Memi and Moses. They were really cool. They were living at Urban Connection because a water line in their apartment broke.

My sister, Bethany, and I with our friend, Antonio, who works at Urban.

Me and my friend, Dave.

Hello and greetings! Here are some pictures from our trip to Los Angeles. Speaking of mission trips, about a month ago, I went on my Italy trip. That brings back good memories. I can't believe it's been a year! Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures from our LA trip. How has your summer been going? I hope it's good.

Slices of summer

Me and my big sis, Rebekah

A beautiful Kansas sunset yesterday.

Eating out with our cousin before youth group Wednesday. We did a skit that night, which went pretty good.

Playing the piano with Randa, the girl we babysat. She loves to play the piano and I'm sure she'll be the next Bach or Mozart.

The other day Bethany and I went to the park and took pictures of each other.

Last Saturday our family got to do a good drive with Humana for people in Haiti.



For Father's day, we went to church and had a yummy meal for lunch. This is a family picture of us! L-R back: Mary, Kristen, Andrew, Rebekah, Bethany, me.

Hanging out with one of my friends, Desiree, who recently moved away. She is back right now for the 4th and I'm excited about seeing her!

A couple weeks ago, Bethany and I babysat for our youth pastor and his wife while they went on a date. Their kids are adorable and we had a blast!

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Break my heart for what breaks yours...

Late last night we arrived home from our mission trip to Los Angeles. It went really well doing homeless ministry and VBS and we all had a good time. We had five days of ministry and about four days of traveling. On the first day of ministry we did a food drive for a Christian organization and on the other four days we did Vacation Bible School and just got to know the homeless people through Urban Connection, a mission organization. We got to serve coffee in the morning, pass out donuts on the street, eat in homeless shelters, learn people's stories, and see life through different eyes. We also got to visit different churches and go to the ocean (which was a blast!) and Hollywood. It was really cool meeting other Christians, Christians who were so different from you. Yet we all serve the same God, despite if we're homeless, if we have been arrested, or our past and even the present. It's great! If you have questions, just call or ask!

Tossing ocean waves and broken hearts...

I am SO excited about going to Los Angeles on a mission trip! We'll leave in two days. While there, be will be doing VBS, a food drive, and working with homeless people. The thing I'm most excited about is the ministry. We also get to go the the ocean, Hollywood Boulevard, and maybe get to meet one of my sister's friends. Please be in prayer about the trip and feel free to comment! I will try to write again before I leave.