It only takes a minute (and even less!)

I heard a statistic/fact, once that it takes 10 positive comments, for every ONE negative comment that is directed towards a person (specifically, in this case, we were talking about youth).  I heard this over a year ago and it has constantly been in the back of my mind.  How quick are we to judge those around us? I know I am guilty of this.  But lately, it has been re affirmed to me, the importance of "encouraging one another daily" (yes, it is even Biblical!) whether its through a face to face conversation (still always the best and, personally, my favorite), but even with the technology we have now a days such as texting, facebook and yes, even blogs.  It takes no more than 30 seconds to send/receive a text.  No more than a minute or two to send out a quick email or facebook message (And, lets face it-a lot of us also have email /facebook access on our phones these days-so we dont even need a computer!)  AND, for those that are not caught up with today's technology...there STILL is a little something called the telephone which 99.9% of people have now a days in their homes! so basically, there is no excuse :P
It is amazing really, how much a simple "hi" note can do to brighten someones day.  I know in the past, I have been on both the giving and receiving end and wow does it ever feel good!  So, who are YOU going to encourage today?

On another note- if I could teleport myself right now..I would no longer be at home..I would be in Zambia right now with the wonderful kids and people there.  I miss them, I really do.  I miss their smiles, their energy and joy and zeal for life, for GOD. Although pictures are great to have, they do not (and will not ever) due justice to the real people of Zambia.  I guess what they say are true..once you go to Africa-you are guaranteed to leave a piece of your heart there (and if you dont, well I think you gotta check yourself into a hospital or something, cause something isnt right! It is impossible NOT to fall in love with those people!!)

goofing off with friends

Happy Sunday!

Camp Update

Camp has been amazing these last few weeks...sorry I have not updated this sooner but have not wanted to spend a whole lot of time updating this...but do not worry, I will when I am out in the Ukraine for sure (2 weeks to the day till take off!!)
How to sum up the last 3 weeks?? First off, I have one more week to go as June 2 will be my last day at camp. But how to sum it up. Basically here was my thinking...."go into camp, serve my 4 weeks and not get attachtced and leave once the month of may is over" Well, here we are 3 weeks later and so much has happend. Now, Camp has become more then just camp-there are people there who have become like family. The connections, the memories, the struggles and everything in between, will be engraved in my heart forever. Going in, a purpose for going was to fill time between school and the Ukraine, since it was hard to find a job for that amount of time (I acutally handed out 7 applications in town and never heard back from any) so deciede that if nothing job wise came up, off to camp I would go, and so that is what I did, not knowing what God would teach me but I felt liek I should be there.

Being outside, working with the kids, sharing GOd's love not through scripture (in this case) but by playing games with the groups that come, by laughing and telling jokes or allowing kids to laugh at you when you purposely do something silly, has all been a real blessing. The relationships in dorm..I pray they will be life long and I think they will be, was alll a real encouragement and blessing as well
I can honestly say I am "bummed" to leave camp in just over a week and leaving camp was NOT suppose to be this hard..but it is and I am thankful and would not trade it for anything....

As to the Ukraine goes, 2 weeks from now I will be in toronto waiting for my next flight over to Frankfurt Germany then on to Kiev Ukraine..I will be arriving in the Ukraine aroudn 3:00 their time (so subtract 8 hours for time here) Mixed feelings I have, excited, scared nervous, etc but trusting GOd through it all

Continue to pray for me: pray for this last week of camp tha tI have, that it will just be a huge blessing and encourgement
Pray for me as I count down days and prepare for take off
Pray for my family who will stay behind (namely my mom) that God will just calm their hearts while I am gone
Pray for Health and saftey while I am out there and travel to and from
Pray that my heart will be opened and my eyes focused on God
Pray that I will be a light out there
Pray for my own Spiritual life and relationship with God

Thanks so much for your support
I have take Zephaniah 3:17 and sort of made it my "own" for this trip.
It reads..
"The LORD your God is with you,he is mighty to save.He will take great delight in you,he will quiet you with his love,he will rejoice over you with singing."

It just serves as an encouragement for me and I hope it does for you as well!

Masks

One thing I have been struggling with lately are masks- not the kind that you physically put over your face like at olden day parties or dress up but the kind that other people dont see, but that you know are there. Why have I been struggling with this? this post kind of goes hand in hand with the post titled "Who am I"- who am I? Does it depend who I am around? Co-workers? family? Friends? WHich set of friends? I feel at times that I am putting on the mask of what people expect of me, depending who I am with. I am not sure if you get what I am saying, but I KNOW other people struggle with this as well. I am trying to figure out not necessary with who, but where I feel most like me and honestly...I am not sure. Work is so much a routine that yah I feel like a robot (well not always, but somedays), home too is a routine-nothing that exciting (which is just fine). I hung out with friends which I grew up with today in the city-it was good for what it was (wedding shower) but I've said it before and will say it again-we are all at such different spots in life (not necessarily a bad thing and in some cases, its a good thing), but it makes connecting and realiting to each other a lot harder then I initally thought it would be out of high school. again I am blown away at how quickly people can change. Again Ontario was amazing May Long-but that too its an experince that I find really hard to explain because no one else here knows those people or the things that we experience together both in Sweden and Ontario-which is great in sense that its our own special connection-but its hard knowing how to act becuase that is the only area of life in which we know each other. Then THere is SBC-we basically spent 8 months together-growing,laughing, learning, struggling all together- I think just for that reason-I am the most my self there. Just becuase we are around each other 24/7. Though it did take me a while to open up and become myself as well (which I think is normal)
THis doesnt apply to to just different friends, but family as well. Gatherings and all. Its like there is some sort of expectations perhaps? I am not sure
The question is which mask will i put on today?
WHen it should be; How can I work at breaking down those masks when All I really want is to just to be me always?