Last Day- thoughts & verses

Well, today is my last day at home. I leave for Colorado tomorrow! I cannot believe how fast times has flown. Almost a year ago I first found out about this school, got accepted and God has taught me so much about Himself these past 7 months. He's shown me in more ways how desperately I need Him, my Savior. On Sunday, I was a nervous wreck, but God has given me such a great peace this past week- it really is a peace that surpasses understanding. I have felt so calm. I know I'm only leaving for 11 weeks, but I know theses next 11 weeks are going to be life changing. Which is exciting, but being a disciple for the Lord and completely dying and denying self and picking up my cross for Christ, is not easy, and to be completely honest, it's sometimes scary. But it's all that my soul really desires right now. A friend shared a verse with me the other day and as I looked the passage up I read the verses before and after and have been clinging fast to them;

"For You are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God- His way is perfect the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the Lord? and who is a rock,

except our God? This God is my strong refuge

and has made my way blameless.

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me the shield of Your salvation,

and Your gentleness made me great."

-2 Samuel 22:29-36

God has been continually proving His faithfulness to me. If I had to say so far out of this whole experience what the Lord has revealed to me about Himself is that He has proven to me in a greater way His faithfulness-despite my unfaithfulness. His mercy and grace- that I CANNOT live without. His love and forgiveness that always takes me back and accepts me- despite my unworthiness and sin. And Jesus' death and sacrifice which has made me worthy of all these things. It blows my mind. :) Lamentations 3 says,

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

therefore I will hope in Him.'

The Lord is good to hose who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him."

I have recieved 2,000.00 unexpected dollars towards my school tuition in the past 3 months! WOW!!! I have been so humbled. And I've thought, if God has provided for me financially, how much more will he provide for my physical and spiritual needs.

"Oh, Lord, You carried me and just like a soldier, You battle for my soul. But more like a Father, You come and take me home. What is the worth of a man living for himself with a heart of his own. And every day goes in and out, and still without a sign of life, but Father wont you please give me more...I know You set me free on the day You died for me...this Man that calls me by name and covers Himself with all of my shame, but not even death could make You surrender." -Bebo Norman, 'Soldier'

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers! I have felt them tremendously. May the Lord bless you all and I cannot wait to return home to be with you again. I will try my very hardest to keep you all updated this summer on this blog. Feel free to email me, write, or whatever! I will definitely get them, but I cannot promise I'll be able to respond. Love to you all.

"You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it."

-Ps. 139:5-6

Going Away/ Send off Cookout

My family had some of my close friends over for a small send off cookout! It was such a nice time!

Middle School Going Away Party

I help out with the middle school youth group at my church and on Wednesday night they had a little going away party for me. It was so special! We sang a couple of songs (because they know I love to sing). And the youth leader, Mike, wrote up a mad lib of my summer in Colorado. So each of the kids filled in a mad lib- it was pretty funny! Mike presented a scrapbook that all the kids had put together for me. Mike wanted me to make sure I saw the arrow from Colorado pointing back to Pennsylvania. He told me that it's a round trip so I have to come back!! He said that the blue arrow is supposed to be ripped off once I arrive in CO. ;) Mike also presented something else...Uhem...Please meet, Cornerstone Camille!! This is Cornerstone Camille. She is going to be at every youth gathering this summer and even the missions trip that the youth are going on in August. She is to be in EVERY picture as well. Just so that the youth will not forget about the real Camille. ;) THAT'S NOT ALL... Please meet..uhem... Colorado Camille!! This is Colorado Camille. And Colorado Camille will be coming to Colorado with me! She will have to be in many, many pictures with me...(ellerslie friends, that means you too) So Colorado Camille will then be able to remind me of Cornerstone Camille and then therefore I will not forget my little Cornerstone Middle Schoolers! (or Mike- he's a nervous wreck that I won't come back home to help him with the youth ;) ) So the night was filled with laughter and of course, some tears on my part. We had a time of prayer and all the middle schoolers and the parents prayed for me, for the students going to Ellerslie, and for all the teachers/staff. I will miss this group a ton, but I cannot wait to return home to share with them all that God has taught me and all that I have learned!!

Savannah

Here are some pictures I took yesterday of my niece...Oh how I'm going to miss her greatly this summer! Precious Talking to mommy I'm not sure what this pouty face is for, but it's awefully cute! Laughing at her Aunt Mille (that's me)

Is he really gonna miss me?

My two youngest siblings-Aubrynn and Dane- like to take turns sleeping on the floor in my room or my sister's room. The other night they were both in my sisters room and I came upstairs and crawled in between them on the floor to snuggle. As we were talking, Dane (7) was telling me what he wanted to be when he grew up. "I want to be a pastor and when I'm not preaching, I want to be a struction worker." (Construction worker is what he meant) Aubrynn (11) and I were trying hard not to laugh. I asked them if they were going to miss me this summer while I'm gone. Immediately they both said yes. The two of them were debating who would get my room for the summer. I said, "Well according to Tate (our 17 year old brother), he's getting my room, but I don't think that's going to happen." And Dane looked at me and asked, "Wait, Oowa (that's what he calls me), how long are you gone for?", "I'll be gone 11 weeks". and He responds, "Awww, man! I wish you were gone 12 weeks". Aubrynn and I started cracking up and I pretended to be hurt, "Why Dane?". He said, "because if you were gone 12 weeks, then Aubrynn could get your room for six weeks and I could get our room for the rest of the 6 weeks." Nice, huh? My younger siblings are trying to get dibs on my room...that's basically all they talk about when they talk about me leaving. I feel so loved ;). Oh how I'm gonna miss those goobers.