oh.... hey. ooops.

SO i fell off the planet again in the blog world.
oops.

camp. well. i just can't pull myself really together to sum it all up. i'm a list person so...

what was the highlight?
- week freaking eleven. oh my goodness. all summer I lived with this looming Heights week that I didn't really know what to think of. I mean, I love the ministry of Heights, the kids are cool... but being their Senior Counselor???? are you joking me??? so I was in denial. not that i was dreading it, I just didn't believe that it would actually happen. I kept thinking that Robby (my director) would switch another Sr. counselor onto Heights... but I would've been furious nonetheless. I didn't get switched and over the course of two days I got more excited about Heights than I have been about anything in a really really long time. It was like God took me and breathed a whole new life into me... a Lacey that hadn't been around in a while. and I've missed that Lacey. Choc and Mohawk were practically doing cartwheels they were so excited and our staff was PHENOMENAL. Those girls will always have such a special place in my heart. The children we got to hang out with were incredible. So gracious, so loving, so ready and willing to learn and be loved. It was nothing but pure joy to wake up exhausted but so ready to get to the Boys and Girls club and see them again. I have a few highlight moments of my life that I will never forget and this is definitely one: one day the guy counselors dumped a bucket of water on me after the boys attacked the girls with water balloons... it was hilarious and I wasn't mad at all, but the boys were SO worried that I would be upset that they ran over and hug attacked me all saying "Belley (their name for me) they made us do it!!! We are so sorry!!! We love you!!!" Our photographer happened to be there to capture the moment... it might be my new favorite picture of all time. sorry Beauty and the Beast, you just got owned by a bunch of ghetto little boys.
what will I miss?
- the community. God knew what I needed this summer and he was so faithful to provide beyond what I could've imagined. 3 people to struggle and serve alongside each and everyday... we learned so much from each other. and drove each other nuts sometimes. Blair was my sanity more than she could possibly know... dude. singing wicked onstage during the 70's dance... will always seem surreal. i really don't think it happened, how would it? bubble. dough. shortie. ohmygoodness. thank you for being my friend. our four way prayer on that last night will always make me laugh... "dear lord... i thank you that we are friends with lacey...." and oh gosh, all the amazing counselors that opened up their lives to me on a daily basis. it still blows me away how willingly vulnerable people can be. in the words of the fabulous Katie Murphy, "thank you for sharing." and Katie Murphy. dude. that woman is totally a hero of my summer. I will painfully miss time spent with her.


what did God teach me?
- God took me out of the weird "okay... who am I??? what am I doing???" place of my life and set me on the solid rock of who I am in Christ. I was in a mini-pit of destruction, but thats done. I don't know where the Lacey I am had gone to, but I am so back and ready to let God use me as I am. God reminded me of who I can confidently be, unshakably through his identity in me. I am not a follower, I am not someone who is apologetic for who I am, I am bold and I hold myself to a higher standard than that of the world. God has called me to lead and for that I do not apologize. but in that I don't for a second think I am deserving of anything. any blessing of friendship, any blessing of health, any blessing of his provision is completely for the glory of God and not my own. what have I done to deserve praise? nothing. and that brings SUCH freedom. praise the lamb. ha. so here I am. and i'm going to be me. and God is going to tell me who that is daily. momentarily, really...

so whats next???
- well. I was planning on ending this bloggage... but in the last two days of being in an inner city elementary school, i've decided to keep it going. maybe not for faithful updates, but at least for some good stories.

my class is hilarious. I'm teaching 4th grade at Bell's (yeah, go figure... the Belle thing just follows me) Hill Elementary. Get this: My school goes to Pine Cove every year for the IWS program. Are you joking me??? The other day my principal asked me what my camp name was. It like a crazy collision of my worlds. Every now and then my teacher will say something and the kids respond with one of our Pine Cove cheers, I nearly freak out every time. Today I got asked, "miss... (they can't figure out my last name) I can't remember... which planet is it that has the aliens?" oh and...
"my favorite weather is a blister"
"what??"
"a blister... with the snow..."
"oh. you mean a blizzard."
"YEAH!!!!! thats the one."


i love my job.