Cheese Carts, Attack Bears, and Cheddar Biscuits

Well, I survived my first and second camps. It was amazing. I knew that God would be working in big ways this summer, but I expected it to be a slow build, rather than a firestorm right out of the gate. I guess it just goes to show that God is bigger than the limits our human minds can set.

We arrived at Covenant College to a haze of fog and mist. Up on the mountain, you are literally walking through clouds. It’s a surreal feeling when you can’t see more than ten feet in front of you. But it’s also a reminder to be present where you are. I suppose that was the theme of this first location for me. Be present in the moment. Be fully committed to where you are right now.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in thinking about the next step, the next thing, that I forget to experience where I am now. I miss out on opportunities to be joyful, to learn, to talk to someone right in front of me, because the idea of ‘what’s happening next’ is so consuming. Being forced to focus on what was right in front of me every morning as I hike up the hill to breakfast is a gentle reminder to soak up every moment.

After loading in, we had a few days to get settled before our first camp started, which was a luxury I am extremely thankful for. I got to take a breath before the storm of four camps back to back. As soon as Registration Day (Reg Day, for those in the know) hit, campers were on campus and I was finally doing the job I’d been practicing for weeks.

Our main drama, “Cheese Louise”, is a story of a family, broken from an older son’s death, and trying to put the pieces of their life back together through work at their grilled-cheese cart and a mission to foster kids in need. I play Claire Ellis, the mom. 

During the mornings at Celebration, I play Magda… a character I have created. Magda is of Eastern European origin from a “small country you’ve never heard of where there is land, sea, and sometimes sky.” She has a shady past in which she probably at one point was an assassin or spy, and claims flamethrowers and attack bears as her weapons of choice. Magda won a contest to be the Foreign News correspondent for 3:27 Camp News this summer and has a segment called “Advice With Magda” during the show.  If you’re feeling bored, go check out #AskMagda on twitter.

In case you were wondering, Magda’s advice is not normal, nor even sound. So far, the campers are loving it. We’ll just have to wait and see what craziness she grows in to.

As promised, here are some of the things I’ve learned at camp through our various Camp Pastors, staff devotionals, and my own observations.

1. Jesus is not medicine. He is a person you can know.
2. In this world, the consequences of your sins can never be erased. Jesus does not erase you memories of sin, he heals them.
3. You will never be “picked last” when it comes to the grace of God. He chooses you first, and calls you holy and beloved.
4. If you live your life within and through the love of God (agape) the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, endurance, and forgiveness will become the fruit of your life.
5. You are not who other people say you are. You are who God says you are.
6. It is okay to have childlike faith, but not okay to remain childish in your faith.
7. “Jesus is like a Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit. Why would you ever settle for the wonder bread the world tries to offer?”

(That last one is a direct quote from one of our camp pastors. But it makes a lot of sense, ya know?)

One of my favorite moments from camp, so far, was actually late at night when I was tired, and all I wanted to do was go back to my room and put on comfy pants. Callie (my fellow actress) and I were leaving the cafeteria and were stopped by various groups of students and leaders as we tried to leave. People wanted to talk to us about the drama, our characters, and most of all, they just wanted to talk to us, because they related to us (well, our characters, but we still listened). One student, poured her worries out to us about being a leader, yet not feeling qualified while also dealing with pride. Callie and I got to talk to her and share pieces of our own stories which related to her. She ended up responding to a call of invitation on the last night. On the final morning of camp, she found us and thanked us for listening. It was a very cool moment.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with both Rec and Missions these last few camps and will be making a more thorough post on that later. They deserve far more attention that a few sentences at the end of a post. I cannot say enough how amazing everyone on my team is. It's incredible. Every single person brings a wealth of talent, intelligence, compassion, and faith to the table, which makes for a truly awesome work environment. I can say with certainty that I love each and every one of them and cannot wait to see what God has planned for us this summer.

Until next time, dear friends.

Come to The Table

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." - John 6:35

Two years ago on this very day I boarded a plane in Orlando and headed home after being medically debarked from the Disney Dream. I was emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and suffering from extreme stress and anxiety. My last contract chewed me up, spit me out, and left pieces cracked and broken inside.

I lost my Spark.

Granted, I'm an actress. I can fake the spark if need be, and did a pretty good job for a while. I got a new job, moved to a new city, made new friends... I moved on.

But the Spark - that little thing that drives your ambitions, fuels your dreams, and gives you purpose - was gone. I smiled for pictures and laughed at jokes, but the humor never reached my eyes. I dove into the rut of day-to-day routine, and settled.

I settled.

Settling can be a dangerous thing.

But then, God intervened. His intervention came in the form of a co-worker's comment about the two of us being "lifers".

That word - "lifer" - felt like fire in my veins. It shocked my system. The Spark crackled, caught, and began to glow. Could I spend the rest of my life in this rut? Did I want to? What was I doing? Was this it? What about my adventures? What about my dreams? What about my life?

I went home that night and did something I hadn't done in a while. I prayed.

It was nothing fancy. I didn't use big words or flowering sentiments. I was just laying in bed, about to go to sleep, when I decided it was time to "Let Go and Let God" - a phrase I'd heard so many times it seems almost unreal. The idea of being able to "let go" of whatever issues are too much for you and "let God" handle them and guide the way. From that night on, I made it a goal to spend some time everyday talking to God and praying for guidance.

I began job searching.

Three months later, there it was. Something I'd always thought about doing, but never seemed to catch at the right time to apply. Student Life Camps.

I remember going to the camps when I was in high school and loving every minute. I was incredibly lucky to have once-in-a-lifetime speakers and worship leaders - Erwin McMannus/Charlie Hall and Louie Giglio/Chris Tomlin - but the thing I remember most was the Drama Team, All Things to All People (AT2AP). I remember watching the actors and actresses on stage and thinking, I can do that!

I also remember something Erwin McMannus said, that will God-willing never leave my mind again - "It is more important to live a life worth living than to be comfortable in your surroundings."

I was comfortable. I had an apartment, a full time job with benefits, a steady income, and almost no debt... and I was miserable.

I was miserable, because I was not following the call God placed on my life. I was hungry for adventure and challenge, thirsty for creativity and purpose.  I was being called to do more, let go of comfort, and follow. But I spent two years, shut up in my apartment, covering my ears like a spoiled child and licking the wounds of my cracked and broken spirit. I thought I could do it all on my own. I had stopped trusting God. I had stopped talking to God. I lost my Spark, because I lost sight of my faith. I allowed the hurt to overpower the Healer.

Thankfully, God is bigger. So much bigger. He sees me as I am - a stubborn, imperfect person - and loves me still.

Jesus calls us to follow Him. Are we brave enough to go?

I believe everything happens for a reason. God sent the word "lifer" to me through my co-worker. He led me to the Student Life page at the right time. He guided my application and audition process. He is guiding me still. He re-ignited my Spark. He put me back together and called me to go.

So, I took a chance. I applied for a temporary summer job as an act of faith. I chose to give up the comfort and safety of a rut-lifestyle and leap into the unknown.

I am proud to say that I will be spending this summer as an Actor for Student Life.

When this adventure is over, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I will essentially be unemployed and homeless.

But my God is bigger. He has a plan, and for the first time in years, I am not worried. I am not stressed. I am following the call. Whatever happens, God is leading the way. He's got my Spark and won't let it go.

God calls us to come to the proverbial table of Life, for He is the Bread of Life and the Living Water. Whoever comes to him will never be hungry or thirsty again.

Are you ready to sit down and eat?

I know I am.