Can you say "WOW!"

This summer has been a bit of a challenge for me so far. It didn't exactly start of spectacularly as some things were falling apart at the end of the school year. Around the beginning of May things finally seemed to start clicking and I was thinking I was starting to find my place and settle in. Of course, that is usually when life flips out of control. Thankfully it wasn't a total chaos all at once, there was good mixed with the bad to "ease the pain" and life just flew by before I realized how crazy it had gotten. Summer started with my being a "mom" again, which was exhausting but fun. The problem I've had is that I have been moving like crazy the past 2 months or so. I really haven't spent more than maybe 8 days in any one location. The whole "settling" process was thrown out the window and about a week ago I was feeling overly exhausted and really starting to wonder what I was doing, and where I was going. Then I went to YXL, as a counselor, and I probably learned as much or more than the kids.
Once again, as I started out on a youth trip, things weren't quite what we had hoped. We got off to a late start and were hoping to really push through fast to get there not too late. Arriving was rushed into the first seminar and I felt like my head was swimming and I had no clue what was going to happen. As things started to fall into place I could see God working in the camp to unite all of the students in an amazing way. I have never seen 85 teenagers spend so much time together and still work toward a common goal that was outside of themselves, mainly helping each other grow in their relationship with Christ. There was a lot of opening up and baring hearts to strangers to help build each other up. I learned a lot that I'd like to share, some fun, some serious, and I'm going out on a limb to bare most with you...

• Adults don't know everything, there is a lot we can learn from watching and talking to teenagers, they have a lot to contribute to our churches
• Cha Cha is a very useful resource
• I can do more than I ever expected, even in a cave, on a mountain hike, playing paintball or digging holes, but my body is getting older and recovery takes a little longer ;)
  
• God will love me, no matter what... I don't have to be perfect, I never will be perfect and I need to come to him as I am
• I need to have "beautiful feet"
• There are quality Christian men out there in the world, and they are training young men to be quality Christian men... there is hope! :)
• There are some amazing young Christian women who have so much to give that they don't even realize... I can't wait to see how God uses them!
• Sometimes detours can be fun... and sometimes God uses them to stimulate conversations hours later... so don't always assume the driver made a mistake
• Certain high school boys should never be allowed to touch my cell phone!!!!
• I have a circle of influence... the question is what kind of influence...
• I need to be better about holding other accountable, and holding myself accountable to others
• GOD IS AWESOME!!!!! and I need to stop forgetting that he has an awesome plan for my life that is a million times better than anything I could plan

After a great trip, things just got a little better... I applied for grad school at Robert Morris University in May... I need to get some credits done or I will lose my teaching certification. I hadn't heard anything for a while and was starting to worry when today I got my mail from yesterday and I was accepted into the program!!! So yeah, it has been a crazy last week... and I'm so pumped and I just wanted to share. :)