Spruce Lake Retreat

This past weekend I went with my young adult Bible study group to the Spruce Lake Retreat Center in Canadensis, PA. It was a great weekend all around, with much fun had by all.
We arrived at Spruce Lake around 9:45pm on Friday and unloaded the vans in order to get situated in our cabin. Once we were all settled, we played a couple rounds of Loaded Questions in order to get acquainted with one another. During this time, we also ate some soft pretzels as a late night snack before dispersing for bed.
The next morning we had breakfast burritos made by Wes, Roshelle, and Karl, which were delicious. Breakfast was then followed by worship in music and then a teaching on 1 Corinthians 1:30 by Jim. The teaching focused on how we need to have our lives centered on Christ and that we are given new life through Him. Also, we can never gain righteousness on our own, only through Jesus. We then had about 15 minutes of prayer before Jim's second teaching, which focused upon sanctification. He taught that sanctification is two-fold: first we are sanctified (set apart) when we first believe, and then God continually sanctifies us throughout the course of our lives. This is because of the indwelling sin that we have in us. It's dead, but still present. We are no longer slaves to sin, but that desire in our nature still exists and is only dampened through God's sanctifying of our souls. We cannot and should not try to reform ourselves, for this is God's job. It involves the painful death of our sins in order to enjoy the joy of God. If we refuse to let go of our idols, our joy will be limited.

Following Jim's teaching, we enjoyed some relaxation outside on the swings that were built around the fire pit. Some people read, others chatted, and a couple played guitar. We then enjoyed chili for lunch before tackling the hike, aka Powerstroke 5000. The view was fantastic once we reached the top, and the weather was gorgeous. Soon we all headed back down to the cabin for some round-robin ping pong, followed by some head to head games to 7. Schulte crushed us all by winning almost 20 games in a row before dinner. Dinner consisted of angel hair pasta and a meat sauce that Heather made using the recipe of an Italian woman from Staten Island.

Following dinner, we watched a documentary entitled Catfish. This was about the influence of social media and how some can use it to deceive others. A man from NYC had developed a close bond with this family in Michigan, but he soon discovered that the majority of it was a scam set up by a woman who was just desperate for attention. Our discussion afterwards confronted whether or not this was real and also made us question how we interact with others using social media. It definitely makes you question how honest people are being, but even in person, people can lie to you. We all enjoyed some icecream during our discussion, followed by a jam session that included vocals, guitar, a drum, along with an assortment of household items such as a cheese grater, pots and pans, wooden spoons, a cooler, and a pink lemonade container. I then went outside to enjoy the campfire for a while before coming back inside to take notes on an audio book while others either read or played Scrabble. There was a bit of a dispute over whether "gorer" was a word before I decided to get some sleep.
This morning for breakfast we had bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on bagels. After breakfast, Mark taught on the importance of having our identity in Christ and how when that is our focus, our actions are more likely to mirror Jesus. We must always remember that we are already children of God and then we will slowly have His ways manifest in us and flow out on a daily basis.
I chose to relax outside and listen to more of my book and take notes. I was definitely noticing some contradictions between the author and Scripture and between the author's own comments, which makes me leery. Heather was engrossed by The Hunger Games, while others played Perudo. I got in on the action for one round before going to relax on a swing while watching our chicken lunch roast over the fire. Lunch of chicken burritos soon followed before it was time for us to start packing up all of our belongings. We took one last group photo before everybody departed in the vans and I drove myself back to Stroudsburg.

Hollywood to New Orleans

Last I left you was in Santa Monica. On Tuesday, June 8th, Chrissy and I left the Clarity Condo around 11am to venture into Hollywood. We did the typical touristy things such as wandering the Walk of Fame, taking pictures of hand/footprints outside Grauman's Chinese Theater, and looking at the Kodak Theater that is across from the Hotel Roosevelt. We then drove around and stumbled upon Beachwood Drive and wound our way up into the Hollywood Hills so that we could get a good picture of the Hollywood sign. Ironically, we happened to be listening to Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus at the time and when she said, "When I looked to my right I could see the Hollywood sign," that was where we saw it (yes I know we are easily amused). Following that adventure, we drove through the Mojave Dessert to get to Las Vegas. I was really excited to see the Bellagio Fountains because they were in the end of Ocean's Eleven. After watching the fountains, we went to the Buffalo Bill Saloon and Casino for some gambling. Played the quarter slots followed by blackjack. Blackjack was a lot of fun and really easy to pick up on. The dealer was really nice, as were the people from Alaska playing with us. Even though I lost all of my money, I enjoyed myself in the process.

After being up the majority of the night, I drove us to Death Valley at 5am so that we wouldn't roast in the heat, and so the truck wouldn't either. We stopped at the Badwater Basin, which is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. It's mildly creepy that there is a sign in the cliff indicating to where sea level is. Following our Death Valley adventure, Chrissy and I drove to the Leeds' RV Park to check in before our hike. The woman was very nice and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We went to Zion National Park and, for some odd reason, I thought it would be an excellent idea to do the Angel's Landing hike. The beginning is a windy trail up to one point where you think that you are done until you realize that you have to cross a narrow ridge holding onto chains in order to reach the actual Angel's Landing, which is 1488 feet off of the ground (pretty high for someone who hates heights). My best analogy is imagine being on top of the Empire State building and having the surface be smooth sandstone with patches of sand and needing to cross a two foot wide ledge while holding onto chains. Doesn't that sound like oh so much fun? I figure that conquering some of my fears is all in the experience. Truthfully, I wouldn't have made it without the help of Chrissy and some other random folks encouraging me as I slowly inched along. Afterwards, lyrics from the Sidewalk Prophets "Words I Would Say" came to mind, which state, "Be strong in the Lord, and never give up hope. You're gonna do great things, I already know. God's got His hand on You, so don't live life in fear." If I lived my life in fear, I would have never made it to the pinnacle of Angel's Landing, though the last half mile did take about an hour.

June 10th brought us to the Kanarra Creek slot canyon in Kanarraville, UT. This hike was positively amazing! The trail zig-zagged along the Kanarra Creek and across it at points. We also had to climb ladders at waterfalls until we couldn't go any further. It was very refreshing given the hot, sunny day. We then went to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is by far my favorite park. We hiked the Peek-a-boo Trail down into the canyon and back up again. After the hike, drove to Shady Acres campground in Green River, UT.

June 11th we drove most of the day. Since Aspen Seals Sledging was closed for the season, we went to Mile High Stadium in Denver because Chrissy is a Broncos fan. The weather was extremely bizarre. There were torrential downpours, followed by hail that piled up to about 4 inches in spots. This unfortunately kept the water trapped on the road, turning it into a lake. After the stadium, we drove to our campsite in Pagosa Springs, CO.

June 12th we found ourselves driving to Four Corners Monument. Unfortunately, it was closed due to construction, so we ventured to Goosenecks State Park to take some pictures. After that, we drove through Albuquerque, NM, before taking a quick nap. The next day we went to the Cadillac Ranch and each spray painted Bible verses onto the cars. Chrissy chose Proverbs 3:5-6, which states "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will keep your paths straight." I chose Matthew 6:25 which says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Attempts to find a place to watch the Germany vs. Australia game were futile, so we made our way to Shrevport, LA, for the night. (Germany won 4-0 for those who are interested).

June 14th we slept in a bit and then drove, with much excitement, down to New Orleans for the night. As a surprise, I got us a room at the Inn on Bourbon Street with a Bourbon Street balcony. Chrissy of course thought that I was crazy, but extremely happy. I figured I was just channeling Randy Pausch by helping make someone's dream come true, which does have an amazing feeling to it. It worked in my favor as well because I absolutely love jazz and New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz. After checking in, we wandered Toulouse Street to Jackson Square to take pictures of St Louis Cathedral at my brother's suggestion, and then found the statue of Joan of Arc. The downpours started, so we found our way into the French Market restaurant for dinner. I had some epic grilled chicken while listening to thunder claps that

sounded more like cannons going off than anything else. It was raining so hard that the floor of the back room started flooding because the patio drain was clogged. The wait staff was entertaining and kept asking us if we wanted to go for a swim. Once the rain stopped, we wandered along the Mississippi River to the Jackson Brewery for a sampler before making our way back to Bourbon Street for some shopping. That wore us out so we topped off the night by drinking Sangria on our balcony and watching the world go by.

Learning to Get Rid of Bitterness

I'll admit that I was quite anxious to see my grandma again after 12 long years. I do not really know why it was so long in between visits, but I believe that pent up bitterness might have existed for reasons unknown. Following the visit, I felt better about life and was happy that my grandma appeared to show interest. I guess part of me always wondered if she really cared about me, and I finally realized that she does, but prefers to not have a major part in my life. This made me turn to Ephesians 4:31-32 which says Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. In essence, I will now be content with writing my grandma letters and sending pictures and not necessarily seeing her because that is just the way things are. There is no reason to hold a grudge over her absence. Instead, I will be grateful for what I have.

Why Wonder Why

An unfortunate part of human nature is that we all feel lost and wonder why about numerous occurrences in our lives. We have all been betrayed, experienced some form of loss, dealt with unfair circumstances, or regretted certain decisions or actions that we have taken. Human nature causes one to dwell forever on wondering why these things occurred or why you did what you did. Questioning is normal, but it can have negative effects. A line from a song by The Classic Crime goes like this: "Sick with regret, you sputter out. Your flame swallowed in doubt...Life's thrown before your eyes and leaves its toll." This demonstrates the negative side of wondering why.

The hardest part about life is the fact that many questions are left unanswered and that is how it is supposed to be. You can search long and hard for a solution or a reason, but more likely than not, you will hit a dead end. One of the greatest triumphs in life that one can achieve is accepting not always knowing. That is in fact how God intended it to be. Humans are not blessed with all of the answers. 1 Corinthians 1:19 says, "For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." We must all come to terms with the fact that we can not solve all problems or help those who need help. We are not in control, and wondering will only harm us and diminish our capacity to fully experience life.

There are those in life who lack faith because they feel that nothing good ever seems to happen to them, so thus, God must be against them. In fact, the opposite is true. God is always fighting for you and wanting you to seek Him. Hardships are meant to be tests of character. Author of Heaven is Real, Don Piper, put it this way: "It's the sinful ones, the people who have failed and need help, that God seeks for heavenly occupancy." James 1:2-4 puts it like this: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." We are never meant to throw in the towel when life gets tough. That is when you should look heavenward and seek the Lord, putting your faith in Him. In the words of the band, Kutless, "Everybody falls sometimes. Gotta find the strength to rise from the ashes and make a new beginning. Anyone can feel the ache. You think it's more than you can take, but you're stronger, stronger than you know...Broken hearts become brand new. That's what faith can do."

Many struggle with the concept of faith. This world is built too strongly on reason, which leaves many grasping for air when reason can't be found. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." For me personally, it is easier to find examples in song lyrics. A line from Addison Road goes as follows: "Everything rides on hope now. Everything rides on faith somehow. When the world has broken me down, Your love sets me free." Pretty much, one should always seek God for the unanswered questions in life. Only He can provide the appropriate comfort in difficult situations.

For the academic, this still lacks proper evidence. But again, it is fruitless to continually search for proof of something in the world when the answer lies within the soul. Nobody ever searches for proof of love before a wedding, yet most always question God's existence. One cannot physically see love, yet we don't doubt it's existence. Unfortunately, many still question the existence of God. My hope is that one day people will realize that He is the answer and will also provide some answers to those nagging "Why" questions that come up in life.

Crossing T's and Dotting I's

The end of this week has been spent finishing up some last minute errands in preparation for the trip. Using the tentative directions that I printed out, I flipped through my brother's Next Exit book and wrote down where numerous 24 hour gas stations are located along our route. I also copied some music from my friend, Lulu, in order to add songs to the playlists that I am creating (even though Chrissy claims that is her job). Other than finishing the playlists, I just have to research a little more about campgrounds and the national parks and whether there are certain hours particular parks are open.

Today, Chrissy got her truck, Connor, inspected. Everything is in tip-top shape and functioning properly. Two new tires were also put on, so we are set to go in that area. We have plenty of food and beverages to keep us nourished for our trip, so that will all get packed up Sunday night before Chrissy treks north to my mountain in Galilee, PA. Following the truck inspection, I went and had Teresa make me nice and blonde for the summer trip. We enjoyed the bonding time whilst watching the Season Five finale of Bones, trying to ignore the fact that we won't see each other for the next month.

This past week I have realized how truly blessed I am with friends and family in my life. I have said my goodbyes to the majority of them already, and they are all very concerned for my safety, along with Chrissy's. I understand where this is coming from. It's a long time for two girls to be traveling on their own and navigating across the country. We have taken into account the possible issues that could potentially arise, but are confident in our abilities and have great faith in God. Chrissy and I have discussed this on numerous occasions and we feel that on the off chance something bad does occur, it is God's will. There is no sense living in fear or else we won't ever experience anything. There is a quote from Bones that outlines my feelings in this situation. It's from when Angela was trying to convince Bones to have a meaningful relationship with Booth and she said, "If you keep living trying to protect yourself, nothing is ever going to touch you." In my mind, if I live within the confines of Northeast Pennsylvania, I may never get the full experience of life. There is also a Bible verse that explains having faith and trusting in the Lord. Proverbs 29:25 states "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." I am not going to rest on my laurels and let everybody else do the exploring in this world. This trip is a once in a lifetime experience, and I am going to take it because I believe that the risk is worth taking and that God will keep both Chrissy and me safe. So, I appreciate everybody's concern and advice in any and all situations, and am truly blessed to know how many people truly care about me, but the best thing for us during the trip is prayer.

Welcoming the Role of the Outcast

While I have been preparing for this trip, I have considered all of the possible people that we may meet along the way. They will come from all walks of life and I'm sure I will not get the chance to know many of them. It made me wonder about how I may come across to people and how I am perceived by my peers on a day to day basis. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I am wasting my time. I should not be concerned with what the world and the people around me think of me. I should only be concerned about God's perception of me and make sure that I am serving Him completely with all of my actions. If I disgrace myself, I disgrace God. This concept is outlined in the following verse: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." -John 15:18-19. This verse teaches me to not let the judgmental world keep me from being myself. Whether I succeed or fail, laugh or cry, wear bright colors or blend in, or if I travel or stay home, there will always be somebody who thinks the worst of me. Therefore, I must ignore any misconceptions that the world holds. I shall continue living my life to the best of my abilities in search of fulfillment and a higher purpose, instead of living life as a people-pleaser. A song that best describes this is "All That Matters" by Addison Road. Click the link to have a listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6PfAP62Q0

Proverbial Words

One of the speakers at graduation said that it is your best friends that bring out the best in you. This comment amused me because my friends and I tend to beat up on each other and toss sarcastic comments around like it's our day job. Thankfully, I am blessed with friends who truly care about me and are proud of my accomplishments. The verse that comes to mind is Proverbs 18:24 which goes as follows: "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Basically, it's the quality, not the quantity of friends that counts.