Where is summer going?

The past few days have been some pretty big ones for me.

I've been lifting lots of girls onto horses, taking lots of girls off of horses, untacking lots of horses, and hanging out with lots of kids. It really has been a dream, and I looked up today and realized that this summer is way too close to being over.

Coming into the summer, I didn't have a ton of self confidence and wasn't really sure how or why God was using me here. Things have slowly changed without me even realizing it, and it's so funny to look back on what was just a few weeks ago and see the huge changes that God has made in my life.

I had the opportunity to give the sermon in church last Sunday, and it was definitely one of the biggest ways that God has ever stretched me. I had very very little time to prepare and didn't have a clue what I should talk about--but I committed to doing it and God pulled me through it. Spiritual gifts ended up being the "topic" that I covered and I think it was just as applicable to my own life as it was to the girls lives. It's nice to be reminded of the talents and abilities that we are given, and that just because we may have the gift of service or listening, it doesn't make us less important or lesser in our Christian lives. It was such a learning experience for me and I hope that it was for others as well.

Martin came to visit Saturday night and got the chance to come to church on Sunday---which happened to be the same Sunday that I was speaking---but it was so nice to have him there. We had a wonderful time and it was great to be able to share this big part of my life with him.

My cabin is doing well too. I guess I forgot how slowly things progressed with the girls last term, so it's a little frustrating sometimes that they aren't super close yet. I'm learning so much from all of their different personalities and backgrounds, and I think they are learning a lot from each other. Pray for them to all understand each other better and open up to me and the things that God wants them to take away from this summer. They have a lot of different things coming up this week that are going to stretch them and teach them and I really hope that they will be ready for it and excited about it.

We all went white water rafting on the Ocoee River yesterday and it was a blast. It was a great get-away from camp and the routine of activities, and it was so much fun to get to hang out with my girls and do something exciting and different. The weather was great and we had so so much fun. I wish I had some good pictures to share, but I've decided that I should probably keep my camera away from water as much as possible.

Thanks for the letters and prayers. Hope you all have a wonderful day :)