A Life that I Do Not Own

So, I was driving home tonight when the song "The Door" by Jill Phillips began to play. If you're not familiar with Jill, I would highly recommend that you check her out. I'm not going to post all of the lyrics (you can get them here), there was one verse that literally made me pull over because I couldn't see through the tears:
I come to you with a life that I do not own
I come to you with a life that I do not own
The door to your kingdom is grace
And you gave your own life away
That the door will be opened...

I've been dealing with a lot of stress lately...family issues, job pressure, and just the general stresses of moving, meeting new people, etc. And it's been hard. Sitting in my apartment alone and crying a LOT hard. And you know, sometimes it sucks, and I just want everything to be okay. I want God to swoop down and just fix it. Because I don't want to mess with it. I don't want to hurt anymore.

But listening to those words tonight, I realized that I DON'T own my life. Everything I have belongs to God...everything. That includes the pain, and the suffering and the tears and the anger. It's all God's. And the quicker I realize that, the quicker I can begin to heal, and to minister to those in my life who are hurting. When I get all caught up in myself, I forget God's perfect grace...a grace that promises I will never be alone...even when I feel like it.

Lessons from an Amusement Park...

We had our company picnic at Six Flags in Denver this past weekend, and I learned some things:
1. A bright yellow poncho with Bugs Bunny on the back, though not sexy, will definitely keep you warm.
2. Rain = short lines
3. Short lines = multiple times on the tea cups
4. It is VERY possible to ride the tea cups too many times
5. Food tastes much better when it's free and you've spent the morning walking around in the rain.

In all seriousness, it was a great day. At lunch, I watched Wess Stafford, our president, mingle with the kids and families. I love the fact that Wess is often hard to find in crowds because he is always knealing down, speaking with a child. It's so encouraging to work for an organization where the leadership lives out the principles set forth to the employees.

And on that note, you all should go to www.compassion.com and sponsor a child today :) If you already sponsor one, write them a letter!

That's the end of my plug. Thanks!

One Last Pic...

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Originally uploaded by bncampbell.

I went wandering around the campsite one morning, and was struck at how beautiful it was!

The View Was Worth It

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Originally uploaded by bncampbell.

The view from one of our hikes.

Colorado Camping

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Originally uploaded by bncampbell.

Our camping group (really, I was there...I took the picture!)

Camping

Yes, I caved and went camping in the great outdoors of Colorado. I have some stipulations when it comes to camping. If it's tent camping, two nights is my maximum. Bathrooms are a must. Showers are STRONGLY preferred. Thankfully, my trip met all of those requirements, and I had a great time. Even did seven hours of hiking over the course of the weekend.

The actual campsite was next to a creek, and it was so beautiful and peaceful. I went with some new friends from the Bible study that I'm attending, and it was lots of fun hanging out and getting to know them better. I kept up during the hiking (barely), and saw some beautiful sights. It reminded me when I worked at camp, and we'd take the girls on a pretty grueling hike. The whole way up the mountain, I just kept telling the girls the view was worth it. And it always was.

Now I'm looking for an indoor activity to get involved with (I can only handle so much of the great outdoors!) I was going to try a book club at the local library, but I was too late getting in, so I'll have to wait until next month.

Sorry, not a terribly interesting post, but it's the best I've got. I'm kind of going through a dry spell when it comes to personal writing...it happens sometimes, especially when I write all day at work. But you, my readers (all three of you) keep me accountable!