the aftermath of camp.

To the Campers and Staff of Pioneer Bible Camp and Worldview Academy, and anyone else who's attended any sort of camp/retreat/conference this summer. 

You learned so much, didn't you? You had conversations that reminded you of what it all comes down to: We're sinners saved by the love, grace and mercy of our creator who sent down His son to take the punishment for our sin. 

The fact that we're dirtbags washed in the blood of the Lamb of God and then wrapped in the biggest stinking fluffy white robe of Christ's righteousness was again brought to the forefront of your mind.

You were shown the power of the gospel, and the need to share the greatest news you could ever possibly fathom with the world was something you felt quite strongly.

You were challenged, and made decisions to start being a disciple of Christ. 

You were pushed to depend upon God in new and old ways.

You had some amazing fellowship, times of learning, and time in prayer.

Or maybe you learned about these things for the first time ever. 

Either way, it was solid, all-out amazing. 

But the mountaintop is no longer where you're residing.

We return to the mundane routine, and most of us prepare to go back to school and such, and it can feel like such a letdown, and you're feeling more alone, and not as 'spiritually high', and the decisions are beginning to prove themselves to be a little more difficult than you maybe expected. 

But guess what?

You are NOT ALONE. You've got an extensive network of brothers and sisters in Christ. Reach out to each other. Hold each other accountable. Watch out for one another. We are the Body of Christ. 

Pray for one another. I'm praying for you. I'd really like to pray specifically for you too, and maybe meet with/chat/encourage you. 

And NO MATTER WHAT, you've got God. And more importantly, He's got you. Use that bible of yours and look up John 10:29. If you've trusted in Christ, that verse is about you. 

What now? 

Here's some real good instructions. 

Colossians 3:12-17. (yeah, I'm expecting you to look that one up too.) 

But guess what else? We can't do that. Not on our own. But like I said, we're NOT ALONE. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 and Philippians 1:6. God is faithful NO MATTER WHAT. He's going to complete the good work he started in you, and He's got a good and perfect plan for you.

Rest in the peace that passes understanding from our Prince of Peace.

PH. sloth.'cheese'. pullover. met. no apologies.

*that moment of relief when you look at the miniature bottle of shampoo in the hotel shower and the label says it's PH balanced, and you're all like, "Phew! I was so concerned that the product I'm putting in my hair was alkaline or base!"*

anywho...


Hey kids. I know it's been quite a while, but I'm back for at least a post. Life is booked due to my serving at a camp for most of the summer. I spend the majority of my summer weeks up at Pioneer Bible Camp in Eden, UT, and I absolutely adore it. The people are great, the food is amazing, and best of all, I get the opportunity to share the gospel with lots and lots of kids.
However, I come home on the weekends with about as much energy and drive as a sloth, and thus blogging gets shoved several spots down on the priority list.
So, the moral of this little paragraph is: enjoy this, you're not going to be getting much more from me anytime soon.


Hot dogs, like many 'good, old-fashioned american foods' are best when you don't think about what you're actually eating. Same goes for american 'cheese'.


There's something comforting about a pullover hoodie that a zippered hoodie simply cannot replicate.
Pullover hoodies feel simpler, and a bit rougher somehow. They might muss your hair a bit, but once it's over your head you just feel a little more at home, no matter where you're at.
"First day of my life" by Bright Eyes is like a pullover hoodie.
His rough, relatively sparse vocals are beautiful in a simplistic way, and his singing style causes me to listen a little closer to the words themselves.
The music is just..... perfect, with a few layers of acoustic guitar and an upright bass. I'm not really sure what to make of the random percussion line at the very end of the song. It's weird to say the least, but it's a quirk that I've come to associate with the song in a positive way.
Yet, the lyrics of this song are what make me feel wonderfully bittersweet and at home.

"This is the first day of my life, swear I was born right in the doorway.

I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed, they're spreading blankets on the beach.
Yours' is the first face that I saw. I think I was blind before I met you. 

I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been But I know where I want to go.
And so I thought I'd let you know,

that these things take forever, I especially am slow.

But I realized that I need you, and I wondered if I could come home.

Remember the time you drove all night, Just to meet me in the morning.
And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed,

you felt as if you'd just woke up. And you said, "This is the first day of my life,

I'm glad I didn't die before I met you.

But, now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you And I'd probably be happy"
So if you wanna be with me,

 with these things there's no telling, we'll just have to wait and see.

But I'd rather be working for a paycheck Than waiting to win the lottery.

Besides, maybe this time it's different,

I mean I really think you like me. "

-Bright Eyes

Look the song up yourself. I'm feeling quite lazy, so you'll just have to manage.
No apologies,
-Maeve

field. happy. tribe. pine-scented air. tops. lazy.

Oh, what a difference a space can make.

Outstanding in his field. (read with pretentious businessman voice, possibly British)

Out standing in his field. (read with country accent, possibly Arkansan.)
(No, I'm not making fun of farmers or southern accents.)
(I'm making a point)


\

Anywho.

I fell in love with a library yesterday.
It's beautiful. There's a comic book store attached to it.
And an art gallery. and various other really cool things.
We're going to be very happy together someday.

See that little amphitheater in the front of the building? It makes me smile 'cause some of my friends and I did some wonderfully random improvisation there in the middle of the day. Picture a handful of homeschoolers pretending to be a crazy tribe hunting a lion. And then proceeding to prepare the lion for eating with 'rituals'.
Yeah, I know you're jealous of my life. ;)


I also fell hopelessly and desperately in love with this poem.

 "Litany" - Billy Collins

You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker,
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.
However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.
It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,
but you are not even close
to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.
And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.
It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.
I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley
and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.
I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman's tea cup.
But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.



Some choose to take this poem in a pantheistic way, but I don't think that's how it's supposed to be. Honestly, I don't really have a way to describe the way you should take it. All I really know is that I like the way the words sound when I say them out loud. But not in an 'infatuated with the sound of my own voice' way. More of a 'there's something intrinsically and acutely lovely and beautiful about the words' way.


Strawberry tops remind me of sea creatures. I don't really know why.


"Light a Roman Candle with Me" - Fun.
spotify:
Fun. – Light A Roman Candle With Me
other spotify:
Fun. – Light A Roman Candle With Me
grooveshark:
http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Light+A+Roman+Candle+With+Me/2C1lK8?src=5

Well. The music/vocals are undeniably perfect, in my opinion.
I don't really feel like making an extensive commentary on them, so if you really want to dissect this piece by piece, you can. :)

"Just spend an evening with me
Just a lazy evening, then you could be leaving
or we could stay and talk until three.
I will think it's magic and I'll hope you'll agree, so...
Light a roman candle with me."

Yeah.

Don't ask me about the 'perfect apple' bit in the lyrics. I don't know what it means, but it sounds good with everything else, and that's what counts for me.