Top 4 Moments From the Boerger/Barry Wedding

Alternate Post Title: In Which I Post All of My Pictures, and Pictures that I Stole From Kraft.

1. JESS AND SETH ARE MARRIED.

Obviously, this was the best part. Jess was probably the most beautiful bride that has ever existed (seriously, is she a model?) and they were just so happy! 

There was so much joy and love radiating throughout the weekend, and I was so honored to be a part of it.

2. Murph was the Matron of Honor, and she gave a great speech at the rehearsal dinner Friday night. 

She talked about how at Camp, we get to be the best version of ourselves, and since Jess & Seth met there, their relationship is rooted in helping each other continue to be the best version of themselves.

3. I knew some great camp people were coming, but the moment when we all first see each other is always so great. 

This weekend was full of those first sight moments - getting picked up from the airport by Murph, then picking up Holly, Jess at the nail salon, Seth, Josh, & Kraft at the rehearsal, and then Paige, the Lang's, and Seegar's at the wedding.

I think I almost cried when we were finally all together (#sorrynotsorry). I loved getting to spend time with all of these wonderful (and slightly crazy) people.

Kraft wrote about how he just falls right back into his role with these friends and that is just so true. I needed some carefree time with these people. 

I cannot describe to you how much I love these people and how much joy there was once we were all together. I am so grateful for the roles they've played in my life, and I'm so glad we have many seasons of friendship to come.

4. I love scheming with other camp friends at camp weddings about when we're going to put flies on the bride & groom. (For you non-Tecumseh-er's, putting flies on someone is when you stand up on your chair and yell a lot. It's weird, but it's fine.) We never actually end up doing it (because it would be highly inappropriate), but the idea always has me laughing uncontrollably about what would actually happen if we put flies on people at their wedding. 

During the rehearsal, I told Murph she was in charge of putting flies on me at my wedding...but now I think I regret that decision. We'll have to see what happens when that day comes.

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I could go on and on, but I think the overall theme of the weekend was joy, love, and friendship. I left the weekend exhausted, but so incredibly grateful for these people, the way they love me and each other, and the fact that airplanes exist. Because seriously, how great is it that I can travel 2,600 miles round trip for a quick 3-day weekend while reading Something Other Than God on my Kindle?

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Barry!

#TecumsehTuesday: Highs and Lows

It has become and informal tradition to begin nightly devotions with Highs and Lows. And oh gosh, how I love highs and lows.

I think it's a pretty common thing, but basically you go around the circle and everyone shares their high and low moment from the day. I add the rule that you have to say your low first because we have to end on a positive note. Sometimes, you can throw in a "God Moment" from the week too.

I love highs and lows because it gets kids to open up. They start talking about things that might seem insignificant, they loved pool time and hated all the mosquitos, but it forces them to look back on their day and find moments that stick out to them.

As a counselor, highs and lows gave me a different insight to my kids and the opportunity to see what is really going on. They loved pool time because they were jumping off the high dive for the first time - this shows me that the kid likes adventure and the opportunity to challenge herself. If we really pay attention during highs and lows, we can intentionally help kids experience similar moments throughout the week to enhance their experience and help them avoid the deeper things they don't like.

Highs and lows remind me of the Examen Prayer. We live in a society that is always pushing forward and never stops, so by practicing highs and lows at camp, we are giving kids the tools for self-awareness. And once you really know yourself you can begin to really dive deep into our relationship with Christ.

So today, I am grateful for highs and lows because they gave me the basic skills to really start to know myself. It's a good practice to have in your daily life to know yourself, and to stay connected with your friends.

Here are my highs & lows from yesterday. What were yours?

Low: Not waking up in time to eat/make breakfast

High: Site visit for the New Evangelization Summit with Christine and finishing the Matched Trilogy

#TecumsehTuesday: Falling in love with Camp Tecumseh

Hopi Cabin, Week 7 2012, Blazers

My first experience at camp was through the Outdoor Education Program. The Smokey Row 3rd grade class always went. My mom got to be our chaperone, and we stayed in Peoria cabin. I don't remember much from this trip, but I remember telling my mom I wanted to go to camp during the summer time and making a candle.

My first summer as a camper was 2001. I had just finished the 5th grade and I had been waiting for this moment for two years. I barely got in - Mrs. Bartheld called once a week to see if the wait list had changed. It wasn't until the last minute that we got the news. Kristen and I were going to the Camp for a full week. It was Week 3, and we were Potawatomi Braves (now they're called Blazers). The minute my parents came to pick me up I announced that one day I would be a Camp Tecumseh counselor and I wanted to stay at camp forever. I'm sure my parents laughed at me and just took me home.

I talked about camp for weeks, reenacting our cheer, singing songs, and telling stories of mud hikes and skywalkers and blobbing and learning to do fancy dives in diving clinic. I started counting down the days until summer 2002.

What I remember most from that summer was how alive the faith was. For the first time, I encountered incredibly normal and cool people who had so much fun living their lives to the fullest, who also loved Jesus. I had never experienced anything like it. We sang songs at chapel, we talked about God during random games and fun we were having, and we sat down at night to connect with Jesus and one another. The biggest thing was that we even talked about Jesus outside of mealtime prayer and church. It was normal, like he was just another friend everyone had. I remember thinking I couldn't tell my parents that this was a Christian camp - they probably had no idea since I had no idea. (Obviously, they knew...)

In the 6th grade, my faith really started to become alive. I was filled with questions: how did Jesus know to make me? Why did God put me with my family? What if I had been born in China 200 years ago? How is possible that Jesus loves me and knows everything about me and everyone else at the same time? I was hungry for Truth, and I ate up everything my Sunday School teacher had to say that year.

Whenever I tell my story of faith, I say that I've always been the "weird one" who prayed in my family and that my faith was just naturally there. But as I think back, I realize that didn't start until 6th grade. In 2009 when I joined staff, it clicked. Camp Tecumseh was 100% responsible for my faith, and my relationship with Jesus.

Sure, camp was fun, and I'm pretty sure 11-year-old-me wanted to be a counselor so I could swim in a lake all summer, but I just couldn't get enough of camp. When I told stories, it never had to do with the church aspect. But if I were take Jesus and the I'm Third motto out of Tecumseh, would I have loved it as much? I don't think so. Sure, it would have been an incredible and fun outdoor camp, but something would have been missing. On the surface, I fell in love with the activities. Now I realize that I fell in love with Camp Tecumseh because that's where I fell in love with Jesus.

My counselors that first summer had no idea the seeds they planted in my heart. Their love of me, their investment in the mission of Tecumseh, and their love of Jesus changed my life in a small, yet immensely significant way.

Unfortunately, all my pictures from that summer seem to have gone missing. I was hoping to fill this post with hilarious pictures of 11 year old me, but oh well :)

#TecumsehTuesday: A new mini-series

Summer 2010, Week 7, Christmas in July

Every Tuesday, my instagram and facebook feeds blow up with the hashtag #TecumsehTuesday beneath pictures that fill my heart with nostalgia. In case you didn't know, I spent 3 full summers working at the greatest place on earth, and then subbed for a week the last two years. I love CT fiercely and I will forever be an advocate of summer camps thanks to my experience as a camper and a counselor.

It's March, so it's that time of year again where I start to miss Camp Tecumseh pretty intensely. So, in order to practice some gratitude and to preserve my love of Camp, I will occasionally be posting some stories, reflections, and lessons learned from my 10 (soon to be plus) years at Camp Tecumseh. On Tuesday's, of course.

I'm really excited, and I can't wait to get started on this. I'll see you next week when I talk about why I fell in love with Camp.