Recap of Summer.

This summer was one of the hardest for me to get through, which means it was also one of the most stretching summers. God stretched me in so many different ways. He tested my patience, my ability to trust, my flexibility and so many other things. In one of the first weeks of the summer, something happened in my life that taught me to really, truly talk to God about my problems and issues. I had to 100 % lean on what Christ was telling me and directing me to do. Although my mind and my own feelings were telling me to do one thing, I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me differently. I really learned how to trust the Lord when he is directing me.

Another big thing that God taught me this summer, was to really let people help me. At camp this year I was really pushed to lean on others, it was one of the most exhausting weeks of my life. So I really learned that I couldn't do it all on my own, I needed to lean on the others counselors, my co-counselor, etc. Camp was another place where my patience was testing in several different occasions, but because of that, it made me really aware that I needed to talk to the Lord about it. I talked to the Lord so much during that week, which made me realize I don't talk to him near as much as I should.

My missions trip to Chicago taught me again to lean on my team members, and on Christ. But it also taught me how to be a better leader, since this was the first missions trip I was a leader for. One of the best experiences of my life, and I am thankful for that trip. I was very hesitant to go on this trip for several different reasons but God was teaching me to trust him completely and just jump in head first. I did, and it was so incredibly worth it.

I think the most important thing I learned this summer was definitely how to forgive. Something happened this summer that i became extremely bitter about, and very angry toward someone. At least that's how it started, but what God was seeking desperately for me to grasp was the fact that I needed to forgive. Papa B has always said in his messages, "hurt people, hurt people." I had to remember that. So even though I was hurt by someone and something, I had to remember they did this because they as well are hurting. Even though I so badly wanted to be so upset, I knew I had to just pray for this person because they wouldn't have done what they did if they weren't hurting. Instead of lashing out and being angry, I just needed to passionately pray for them.

The Lord softened my heart to lot's of people and lot's of things this past summer. One of my role models and I decided this was going to be the summer of Reconciliation. It was definitely that. I am truly blessed with an amazing Father in Heaven, who only wants the best for me. Praise the Lord!!

CA CA CA!

What is Camp Adventure?
Camp is...

where long car rides are actually fun.













where you get to spend a week with an amazing group of middle schoolers.













where you have the greatest cluster leaders.













where you get to spend a week with your friends.













where you get to give Jesus a high five by being blobbed.













where you get to share God's most powerful moments with brothers.













and your sisters.













where you get to spend the greatest week of your life with family.













where you spend everyday, all day with your best friends.

















where clusters work to be rewarded with a two by four & think its the greatest thing ever.













where muddy slip n slides happen.













where new friends are made.













where you spend a week with an amazing, inspiring co-counselor.













where friendships were once made & continued to grow throughout the years.













where LOTS of sweating happens.













where rhythmic movement night is the best workout you will ever have













where the most insane, powerful, crazy, greatest worship happens.













where inspirational leaders give everything they have all week long.













where counselors are actually excited to jump off the high dive in your clothes at midnight.













where hundreds of students & leaders lives are drastically changed by the Lord.

picture time..

Since my last post didn't have any pictures, I will just have to show you how much fun was has in Chicago 2010! This is what I enjoyed about the trip...

Sharing a hotel room with the craziest- most awesome group of girls..














Wrestling over starbursts..













Forming relationships with some of the greatest middle schoolers ever..













Insulating an entire basement with one of my best friends..













Riding around in bumper cars playing whirly ball..













Taking rapid movement pictures with my roommates..













Making fools out of ourselves at public places & lOVIN IT..


























Being on top & looking out to the greatest city..


























Still making fools out of ourselves in public places & STILL lovin it..






























Being able to serve under some of the greatest leaders out there..













Spending time with our future leaders & the future world-changers..













Being bruised & tired, but still wanting to keep going only by God's strength..













Having LOTS of these because of how exhausted you are..

















Serving the Lord & the city of Chicago with amazing people..













Chicago '10 was unforgettable. Praise Jesus!

Chicago Mission 2010

Signing up for missions was the hardest thing for me this year because I have gone on the Mexico mission trip for three years. And this year I felt God telling me "No, Nicole you are actually not going to MX this summer, you are going to help out the middle school group and go on Chicago." I was extremely hesitant for multiple reasons to sign up for Chicago, but who was I to deny God's plan for me. So I signed up. Johnny told me in person that I would be one of the many leaders going on this trip, but he also wanted to talk to me about possible complications/problems that could happen on the trip. And honestly after that little meeting, I knew 100% that I was supposed to be going on this trip. We had 3 boy students & 6 girl students and the rest were all leaders (we had 23 people on our team.) so I knew it would be a little strange since there were so little middle schoolers but man did those few middle schoolers SHINE! I have never seen students, let alone middle school students work that hard, have that amazing of attitudes and shine for Christ that much. I'm not going to talk about every single thing we did, you can find that at the teams blog www.gsmchicago.blogspot.com. The thing that amazed me the most was our teams ability to get along & work together. There was not one fight, there was absolutely NO drama, we honestly all just bonded so much and got along so well! This was by far the most tight group of teammates I have ever been apart of. I call myself EXTREMELY blessed to have been apart of such a team. Blessed to have witnessed absolutely astounding leadership, both from our trip leader & from all the other leaders. But also blessed to have been able to witness God so up close and personal in every single student on the trip. After the trip was over I remember just falling to my knees thanking God for placing me on this trip with this team, because I grew an unmeasurable amount from this trip! We changed lives on this trip, whether it was feeding the homeless, working on work projects or walking into a Hindu temple in Little India. Not only the lives of the people in Chicago, but our own lives. God wrecked each and everyone of our worlds in the most miraculous ways. That trip changed my life and I will never forget it. I can't wait to see what God will do when we take everything we learned and experienced in Chicago and bring it back home and apply it to our lives here. Praise Jesus!

How people define teenagers..

After hearing Papa B speak at our last FCA I headed over to martins until I had to go to school to spend some time with Jesus. I had a donut, energy drink, my iPod and my bible and journal. I continued to read in James because that's where the Chicago team is studying to prepare for our trip. So I am sitting there reading and journaling and I couldn't help but notice people starring at me. But it wasn't just the ususal stare I get when I pray, or read the bible in public, this one was different. I was wearing my penn tennis shirt so it was obvious that I was still in high school. Then I thought back to what DC has been saying for the past two weeks in our new series at GSM, "how to define a teenager." he was right. Those people were starring at me because I was doing something they wouldn't expect a teenager to do. Those people were starring at me because they were astounded at how what I was doing was mature and responsible. The stereotypes of teenagers never really bothered me until this morning. These people isn't just glance over, they were flat out starring at me. Is this really what people think about teenagers? About our generation? That we are lazy, immature, irresponsible and incapabl
of being serious. That's not what I want our generation to be known for.. God is calling my generation to be the deliverers of his love and word. We are called to be the ones to bring Gods kingdom from up there to down here. How are we supposed to do that when we live up to those hurtful stereotypes? That is not who God is calling us to be.. It's time to change how people define teenagers!

Hillsong United

This past weekend I went to the Hillsong United concert in Chicago. I went with my my sister and three of my best friends. We all met at my house before leaving and we were pretty dang hyper and excited. Then we had the 2 1/2 hour car ride, but we had plenty of great music and some even better conversations, so it went by pretty quickly. We finally arrived at the Sears Centre and had to wait another hour before the doors even opened. While waiting in our seats I wa talking to Eden about our seats and how they weren't the greatest but she reassured me that there really wasn't a bad seat in this place. So once it started I didn't really worry about it too much anymore. First off, they are from Austrailia and so every time anyone of them talked it made me really happy cause they're accents were so tight! The third song they played was 'take it all' and of course all five of us got low on parts and did out little dances from GSM, it was awesome! It was absolutely inspiring to look around and see 10,000 people worshipping Christ right along with you. It was like nothing I have ever seen before, I'm so used to worshipping with my friends at church or at GSM and that's like a few hundred, but have ten thousand people lifting their hands to Christ and pouring their hearts out in worship was indescribable. One thing that really got to me was during one song I just sat down in my seat and watched people. More specifically I watched the people on the floor. All in front of the stage there were huge crowds of people on half of the floor but the other half was pretty much empty with a few random 15-20 people just scattered by themselves. Those people gave me chills, the way they worshipped was like nothing I had ever seen. Their passion to just be closer to God was inspiring. There were people falling on their knees in worship and dancing around and just giving everything they had. Earlier that night I was so bummed out that we weren't on the floor and I thought we had bad seats but by this time I was so thankful to God for putting us where he did. If I would have been on the floor that night I would not have experienced what I did and been blessed like I was. That concert was a life changing experience. Thank you Jesus!!

Coming soon...

Coming soon to this blog... My take on TWILIGHT. Also, are twilight and peoples relationships with Christ similar? Can you compare the sensation of Twilight with the sensation of Christ? My opinion on all of this... Coming soon!!