the start.

It’s amazing how clearly we can see God’s perfect timing in hindsight. I truly believe that God had his hand in me coming to LT… He had me make the decision all the way back in December, before I knew who was going or what we’d be doing or anything. At the time and all the way up to a few weeks before coming here I had no idea what I needed to work on this summer and why He wanted me to be here. But God got me here, and I am so grateful because it is right when I need it most; right at a time where I need to seek after God with even more intent and fervor than ever before. It is my prayer that my trials, my doubts, my fears, my failures will not consume me this summer, but that I will be able to turn to the Lord and feel His Presence again. I want to leave this summer with a greater faith than I have ever known before, with a fiery passion that cannot be hidden.


One of my goals for the summer is to stop putting on a false persona for people to see. All too often I put on this face for people because I think that it’s what they expect from me. But I don’t want to do that anymore. I just want to be real, open, truthful, and even transparent. I don’t want to pretend to be okay or strong even when I’m not. I want to be able to just be honest about everything, even if it’s tough stuff that I have to work through.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? …. One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in His temple. …. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. ….. Hear my voice when I call O Lord, be merciful to me and answer me. My hearts says of you ‘Seek His face!’; your face, Lord, I will seek. …..Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” - Pieces of Psalm 27

On the first night we were here, we were all silently led out to the beach where Neil, our LT director, was reading this (Psalm 27) repeatedly. Once everyone arrived, Neil explained to us further what LT exactly was and what we’d be focusing on this summer, which is the story of David and becoming a person “after God’s own heart”. Then we were challenged to spend some more time out there on the beach, and then in everything we did for the following 15 hours, just really SEEK God. In that time, I really just had this peace come over me about waiting on God for the answers for everything this summer and about letting Him reveal Himself in His own time this summer. I will rejoice in what God is doing in my life, even when it is completely beyond my understanding.

I believe that this summer God will give me the opportunity to live out Colossians 2:2-3 through LT – “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And I plan on giving it everything I’ve got to accomplish that this summer; I want to hold NOTHING back. My goal is to “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God” (2 Peter 3:14).

Thus far it has been so encouraging to have daily quiet time with God intentionally in set in my day, because honestly, at school this year that didn’t happen for me. I let everything come before God because everything else had a deadline or a due date, and I could just work things through with God later… but that isn’t true! I can’t go another second without God and truly be complete.

We’ll see what happens with the rest of LT! :)