Wrapping Things Up...

Every year, at the last service of the summer, Billy Walker Junior does a thing called "The Summer Of." This is mine... with a bit of a twist.

The summer of... learning

• ...how to truly love; what Love truly is at in its purist form...
• ...that jealousy can consume.
• ...how to give it all to Him
• ...not to be such a control freak
• ...to stop talking, and start listening
• ...there's a difference between kindness and compassion. Kindness sends a card, compassion goes and cries with the hurting friend.
• ...to stop talking and start Listening.
  

The Summer of... Loving...
This one doesn't break down into bullet points, and it kind of goes along with the learning. I learned a lot about Love this year. I need to Love with the love of the Lord. I need to love those who are hard to love, those who don't love me back. It's easy for me to love people that I enjoy and get along with, but Love isn't easy.

The summer of... Laughter...

• Oh my gosh! It's giving birth!
• Hobble along, Kaylie...
• There's something different here...
• "Everyone has stuff. Our family, we have a lot of stuff."
• Must you move so swiftly?!
• Emily! Get your dooby off of me!
• "You're going to go home and teach..." "OH MY GOODNESS WHAT IS THAT?!!!"
• Kimmee falling off the tube in the lazy river.
• Hey Buddy!
• Unnaturally cubed meat and bi-colored milk
• AHH HA! The Double Poke!
• I ♥ Cliff
  
• Going to the Stoo with the Saff
• Orca!
• It's called a yarmulke!
• Where was your hand eye?!
• force mouse abortion
• legless campers
• Hair with a capital H
• Nobody's Perfect
• Sycamore and the Pillar of Salt
• the nurse giving Kaylie too much ibuprofen
• "Dave. I heard what you did. That is disgusting... and you call yourself a Christian!" *starts to walk away, then turns back* "And I looked up to you..."
• Look at all those children...
• Well, well, well... think you're Mister Funny Man, do you?
  

There are so many more inside jokes, so much more laughter... I could go on for pages and pages.

The Summer of... Memories

• singing and prayer on the footbridge with Kaylie, Christy, and Jessica
• being real friends with Christy now
• "Jared Talks"
• waterpark afternoons
• deeper friendships
• sunsets
• Tuesday nights- decisions, bonfires, etc
• Counselor talks (with my actual counselor and also with Dawn and Kimmee)
• shooting stars and finding the Little Dipper
• "Killing the Lizard"
• Second chances
• secrets shared
• Learning His voice
• laughter nearly to the point of being ill
• Cabin 7
• much confusion (NOT the way Jared uses that word
  
• Kimmee hugs every day
• kayak talks with God
• the Beauty of the Lord
  

This summer was the best one yet, and I'm glad that I don't let it end until after the rally :-)