Enjoying The Summer Sun.

My summer travels have been fantastic. They have taken me to the beach in Texas and then out to the Black Hills of South Dakota, where I currently sit surrounded by beauty of the forest. I had an awesome Fourth of July week at my parents’ beach house in Crystal Beach, TX. My parents and I were joined by some of my best friends from high school and college; and as usual there was fierce competition to be had while we soaked up the rays. This year’s battle was in horseshoes and Scott Rodgers and I came out victorious. It was a fun time to catch up, relax and eat everything in sight.

When that week was over I jumped on a flight to Rapid City, South Dakota to come and hang out with Evan, Roz and Gibson Hays, who are friends from the ESBS. Evan was a student who graduated in 2012, Roz was a fellow staff member that year and Gibson is their 6-month old son who is full of energy and has a good set of lungs. They own a property with cabins (Backroads Inn & Cabins) in the Black Hills and they have a great location because we are only 10 minutes from Mt. Rushmore.

I have been out here for 3 weeks and still have a week left, and this time has been glorious for me. I have been able to rest from a busy school year and a crazy first part of the summer. I have honed my napping skills, taking full advantage of the free month trial of Netflix and have gotten out into nature for hours at a time. 

More important than that, this time has been encouraging and rejuvenating for me and my relationship with Jesus. Evan and I have gone out played some golf, done some hiking and climbed rock faces that I didn’t realize were so high until I got down, but during those times the conversations that take place are what is encouraging and rejuvenating for me. They have been centered around God and how He works. We have talked about and praised Him for how he has worked in our lives, provided for us and helped us over the past year. It has been a sweet time of remembrance and worship of our Creator and Savior.

I have highly enjoyed my vacation and have learned many things while I have been on the road.

- I have learned how to throw a horseshoe with accuracy.

- I have learned the importance of lasting friendships.

- I have learned to stop and enjoy the scenery while on a hike.

- I have learned to trust my feet while I am 100 feet up on a rock face. (That one is remembered pretty often these days)

- I have learned the importance of reciting what God has done in your life over the past year and praising Him for that.

- And finally I have learned to always have your camera around because you never know when a great picture is around the corner. 

Here are some pictures from this summer!

Front Porch View

The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota

Sunset Climb

The Needles in Custer State Park

Lucy and I on top of Harney Peak in Custer State Park

Evan and Lucy

Mount Rushmore (I don't think this one needs a caption)

Mount Rushmore at sunrise

Climbing the Weird Water route behind Rushmore

At the Summit of Weird Water

The End Of An Era

Here I am sitting at my computer playing catch up … once again. (I told you there was a theme here.) Lately I don’t know where the days go. It seems like I wake up, then go to bed, and when I wake up again a week has gone by. But I am here now and I am determined to put my thoughts down.

At the end of May and beginning of June the ESBS had to say goodbye to another great group of students. It was an honor to share 9 months of my life with them. I was so proud of what they accomplished. As I look back, a month out from all of us parting ways, I see the fingerprints of God all over our time together. It is evident that He brought us all together for that period of time to work on our lives both individually and as a community. The community that was formed with this group was the closest I had seen and been apart of. It was a beautiful picture of what a true gospel centered community is supposed to look like. They are all beautiful pictures of what it looks like when someone passionately chases after God.

For me personally, the hardest part of my job is the transition from one school to the next. The forming of close friendships and then having to say goodbye is rough. It’s funny how living at camp carries with it so many different memories. There are places that bring back memories of the past school years and even though those individuals may have left this place, it still feels as if they are here. Its fun to walk around the property and let the memories run through my mind. Camp Lurecrest is a special place for that very reason.

As we said goodbye to the ESBS, we said hello to this year’s summer camp staff. I had the privilege of driving our ski boat for 3 weeks of camp. It was a lot of fun slinging teenagers around on a tube for 5 hours a day and hanging out with the other staff ... It wasn't a bad job at all! We have a good group this year and I know that God is using them in the campers’ lives. It was a fun time being at camp for a month, but now I’m on vacation to get some rest and rejuvenate for the next school year.

Not a bad view to look at everyday