Coffee and Boys – A Bitter Drink of Bad Memories

The other day my sister and I were discussing coffee and our favorite drinks from Starbucks, when I got to thinking about the one drink I can’t bring myself to order again…a drink that, Lord help me, unfortunately reminds me of…my ex. Ugh! What drink is this you ask?

The lovely and oh so addicting, Caramel Frappuccino.

It all started one summer night in 2009, when i fell for a Starbucks employee with tight jeans and a Dave Grohl complex.

(imagine this is my ex…just with hair and skinny jeans…and white skin…this guys is hotter though)

This is what my ex really looked like

(Okay, okay, I'm done…it’s so fun though!)

He was scruffy and had great taste in music and books, and his err “hugs” made me melt. Plus he liked cats. I thought he was pretty swell.

Obviously this was before his true colors surfaced and his selfishness and pure stupidity and jerkiness came out…no, I’m not bitter, I’m just honest.

Anyway, one day Starbucks boy and I spent the day together in Dallas. Boy lived in Arlington, so I was staying with my cousin and her husband in Ft. Worth for a couple days to visit with him. When boy picked me up in the morning to hang, he texted me and asked if I wanted coffee, I said yes and told him to pick me something. He then brought me what went down as the YUMMIEST Caramel frap I have ever tasted in my life! (It looked exactly like the picture above! Hells yeah! Now you know why i thought i loved him)

Seeing as boy was a seasoned employee at the corporate coffee store known as Starbucks, he knew how to make the drinks taste like freakin heaven, and told the “barista” to make mine with lots and lots of caramel and toffee nut syrup. Boy would tell the “barista” to swirl the caramel in and all around the drink, leaving this thing dipping in thick, sweet, gooey caramel goodness! I mean like even the freakin straw and cup were dipping out the caramel! And don’t get me started on the toffee nut syrup! Pure heaven! :)

I had that same drink three times while we visited together those days. They were sweet days. I, much to my detriment, realized I loved him while sitting with him outside of his store at night drinking that dang caramel frap, looking in his eyes and seeing God radiate through him (Ha!) as he told me he saw the same in me (hence the reason I hate Landon Pig’s song “Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop lol).

Really, I blame the drink for the love feeling…too much sugar can do odd things to the heart.

We went our very, very separate ways later on. It hurt and gave me very vindictive thoughts about punching him, egging his car…and many other violent un-Christian things. Then I realized “whoa, he was dumb! I can do wayyyy better!” and I became stronger and wiser and moved on to happiness and lots good things…cuz I deserve them :)

And while my heart has completely moved on, my taste buds and sense of smell has not. I have not ordered the caramel frap since we split.

Tragic isn’t it?

For a long time I could not go near a Starbucks; it felt too much like him. I would see a Starbucks employee and I would want to punch and bite them. (mmm, barista blood…)I hated the color green.

Then one day I was in Brenham with my cousin’s and their friend, and we all went and sat at a Starbucks. I actually felt comfortable there. I didn’t feel like i wanted to jump out of my skin. I wasn’t hyper ventilating so I thought “hey this must be progress!”. I like progress.

Then, it was my turn to order…panic flashed through my soul. What would I tell the coffee lady I wanted to drink? I could not order the Caramel Frappuccino of heart stabbing love! So I turned to my cousin’s husband, who earlier had told me about the drink he usually orders, and asked him to repeat the drink name to me. He said “White Mocha, get it iced.” So I turned to the lady and said “I’ll take a Tall Iced White Mocha, please”.

And the rest was history. The Iced White Mocha became my drink. It’s yummy sweet indulgence, with an espresso kick, and I love it. It’s the prefect pick me up for bad days, and I love ordering it after class when I’m running on just a couple hours of sleep and stressed; it makes me smile :) Thanks to my cousin’s husband I could return to drinking coffee at Starbucks.

Never the less, while I can now go to and enjoy Starbucks, I still have yet to order the Caramel Frap again. During the conversation had with my sister we discussed this, and she made me realize that I should never let a dumb boy’s stupid actions take my coffee enjoyment away. After all, I didn’t do anything wrong in our friendship/relationship, so why should I suffer?

So, upon this big life altering revelation, I decided it is now time to face my fear and broken memories, and drink the Caramel Frappuccino again, and make new, happier, and longer lasting memories with its yummy goodness.

My sister and I are planning on sharing one this week after my class. I’ll let you know how it goes, ha! Stay tuned ;)

~Oh, and a little closing disclaimer; if you (yes you Starbucks boy) ever see this blog, which I very much doubt you ever will, but if you do, then you might find it to be kind of amusing and kind of creepy; which is cool, because that’s how I think of you. Yays we’re even :D ~

~ Cecily Priscilla

Top 5 Most Stylish Women in Christian Music

Bonjour lovely friends! Let’s talk style this week shall we? I’m a big believer in rockin what you got (Superchick reference), and never being afraid to go all out in expressing yourself and showing your personality with your style and clothing. I for one love tutus and I will rock one whenever and wherever I want, yo! (I once wore my pink and black tutu skirt to my church’s state convention, ha). So I love people are just as un-afraid and bold in their style as aspire to be. And it is no secret that music has always had a very profound effect on fashion, from the way Nirvana ushered in the grunge/”whoa with the plaid” look, to the way Brittney Spears had every girl showing her navel (scary!), music and fashion has always gone hand in hand. So I wanted to take some time to recognize the artists whose fearless style inspires me, and who I take cues and ideas from to create my own look. This week we are highlighting the top 5 women who, in my opinion, have some of the best style in Christian music. Please feel free to share your favorite stylish artists, and how they have influenced your look :)

Sherri Dupree Bemis of the band Eisley

Sherri is a singer/guitarist for the sibling band Eisley, and her style is just as whimsy and intriguing as her band’s beautiful music! The best thing about Sherri’s style is that she is very artsy and creative with her look, almost merging the fantasy world with the hipster chic, if that’s even possible lol. Sherri, who is also an amazing photographer, takes the most enchanting photos showing off her off-beat and eccentric personality through her outfits, makeup and hair.

 

Speaking of hair, Miss Sherri has, like myself, been a pink head before!

High fives Sherri, we colored haired girls got to stick together! Sherri’s style shows personality and creativity, she writes a story with her look, and it says that she has a story in her mind that she’s living out in her own way, in her own land. And, by listening to Eisley’s music, you get a little peak inside that enchanted world.

 

Make sure to check out Sherri’s Flicker page for more of her incredible shots!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photostoshare1/

Lacey Mosley of the band Flyleaf

Lacey has to be one of the most authentic rocker chicks out there! I love seeing how she pairs girly dresses with jeans for a live performance, a very creative way to prove that you can be a girl and rock out on stage at the same time!

Her style is grungy – girly awesomeness all rolled up in one hardcore package! Personally this is my favorite style at the moment, so I’ve been very inspired by Lacey lately. Lacey also sports fun dresses in photo shoots; just look at Flyleaf’s most recent promo shots to see her in a cute tea-length vintage black dress, hat, and some awesome shoes! So classy!

To sum up Lacey’ style, I would use three words; Classy rocker girl! Rock on Lacey! :)

Tiffany Arbuckle, AKA Plumb

Tiffany Arbuckle, AKA Plumb ,is one fearless chica when it comes to style! In 2007 she sported a rockin Mohawk that got her some flack, but Tiffany didn’t falter, she sported the ‘do anyway despite what others thought of it. You go girl!

Aside from the Mohawk, if you look back at Tiffany’s style over the past 10 years she’s been in music, the woman has always had a knack for bringin the out there and in your face fashion. In photo shoots and promo’s Tiffany will often wear big poufy gothic dresses, colorful makeup, and always has her hair looking fierce!

And live, Plumb is just as adamant about expressing her style; when Krystal and I went to a show of hers in 2007 she was preggers with her son Oliver and looked as stunning as ever in a maroon top, and awesome gold platforms! This woman is one of my style heroes! :)

 

Lee Marie of the band Children 18:3

Lee Marie is the bassist of the punk sibling trio Children 18:3. Lee Marie is a total punk rock chick for sure; Ripped jeans, shredded and patched jackets, and arm warmers. I love it! Lee Marie is very creative in her clothing and style, one of my favorite things about her is the hearts she wears under her eyes (very Miss Angie reminiscent), it’s so whimsy! I tend to draw stars under my eyes, so it’s nice to know I’m not the only one! Ha ;)

This girl screams her personality with her clothing, it just says “Hey, I rock. And yeah, I know it”, ha, exactly what every girl should think of herself! ;)

 

Krystal Meyers

Krystal Meyers has come a long way from her teen age years of jeans, T-shirts and Vans. Around the release of her third album “Make Some Noise” in 2008, Krystal’s style took on a more mature and polished look, increasing in style and trendiness (the good kind of trendiness that is) along the way. I love how Krystal pares skinny jeans with cute tops and jackets, and she even rocks a fedora and other awesome head wear from time to time.

 

Krystal’s style is what I would call rock chic, and it is very wearable for every day, making it easy to take cues from her and work them into your own look.

 

Well, that’s all for this week friends! Come back and visit us next time as we’ll be spotlighting the top 5 stylish guys in Christian music! (All the girls say “Yeeaahh!”). Cheers rocking friends! Never be afraid to show the world who you are through your style, and how you carry yourself! Meow!

2010 in review – A year of change, growth, and happiness (Part 2)

August:

No special event really happened in August, it was more of a somber and difficult month for me. I was seeking direction from God and I was pretty confused as to why my plans were falling down around me. Late July was hard and I was still recovering from it, and then August hit and I was down for the count. I had no dreams, no plans, and no desire for anything other than just to feel okay again. I felt empty and lonely; it was a very hard time. But, the thing I didn’t know at the time was that sometimes God has to empty your dreams out of your heart so He can have room for His to come in like a beautiful rescuing rain and restore your ground again. I was only empty so He could fill me. But before we get to how he did that, let’s go through the things that did happen in August..

1. I dyed my hair purple for the first time. I’ve been pink on and off for going on three years, and always wanted to try other colors but didn’t want to really mess with what was working lol, but I needed change and so I went for the purple…and guess what? It rocks, baby! lol ;)

2. I got my nose pierced! Hells yeah! I had wanted my nose pierced for years but had been stalling, so when Crystal and i went to stay with Pam in Victoria for some hang out time I decided it was the perfect moment! It was the piercing that hurt the worst so far, it wasn’t that bad, but it did hurt and made my eyes water lol. I went In the Skin in Victoria like I always have; they’ve never let me down, they have a top notch staff that makes you feel comfortable and know what they are doing! Plus they are clean! I love getting pierced! Seriously its right up there with going to concerts and playing with kittens lol, it’s just so freeing to put a pretty hole in your body whenever the heck you want to, and just the whole experience is just excited and relaxing at the same time lol. I love my nose piercing so much! I used to be very, very, self-conscious when it came to my nose…thanks to some crappy people; I hated it so much I wanted surgery. But, over the years I came to better love myself for who I am and how I look. God as shown me that He thinks I am beautiful and I feel it. I love myself the way I am. I am happy with the way I look, so I decided to get a pretty little nose stud to accentuate my beauty :)

 (me with my new purple and pink hair, and nose piercing )

3. I time traveled and left lost love behind, never to look back :)

September:

On September 21^st I started Destiny Bible Institute at Faith Family Church in Victoria.

Oh, wow, what a new experience! Ha, my first time in a class room setting since 1^st grade (I was homeschooled from then on, don’t ya know), freaked the cats out of me! But, thankfully, I was met by some awesomely sweet people, who were gracious enough to answer my questions and give me copies of their notes since I enrolled late. I’ve grown to love Studio 45, the room we have class in, and I love my chair at the end of the table. It’s funny because we all have our specific seats we sit in…I like the people I sit next to :)

The first day I was met by Miss Beth, the woman who handles the DBI stuff, she hugged me and let me tell you, I needed that hug right then! Lol. She’s a sweetheart, and if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be in the DBI day classes like I am now, see because It was so late into the trimester she was only going to be able to enroll me in the night classes, which are once a week and an older crowd. I prayed about it, and the next morning Miss Beth calls me and tells me she was thinking about it and felt that I would do really well in the day classes and she would work it out to where I could enroll. Praise God for women like her!

I am so fond of the students I go to class with, such incredible people…all so dedicated to learning and growing in God, so encouraging to see! I love it!! The first person I met was a sweet guy wearing some awesome “hipster glasses” ha, and right then I knew I could hang with this crowd ;) I have had such a great time getting to know these people little by little, getting to hear their thoughts and stories…the random ones, as well as the deeper ones, and chatting during breaks, in the hall after class, and having lunch :) I sincerely hope to get to know them better as time goes on :)

As for the teachers, can we say anointed?! God has seriously used each of the teachers in my life, each with their own unique way of teaching; they have blessed me so much. I have learned so much through these classes so far that it is hard to put it into words, it has been the most eye opening, challenging, healing, growing, tough, experience in my life…and there is so much more to come (kind of scares me! lol). One day soon I’ll go back over all I have learned in my classes here in my blog, but for now, I will just say that I am so much better off for DBI, and I know that God has placed me here for a reason…not too sure what the reason is yet, but in His time I’m sure I will find out :) I graduate June 8^th 2011 :)

(the place at the table i always sit at in class)

November:

In November I “preached” my first “sermon’” in class lol. We had a Communication Class and had to prepare and give a 15 minute sermon in front of the class and our teacher…I was so freaking nervous! lol. Public speaking has never freaked me out, I don’t mind getting up and speaking, just as long as I know what I am speaking about and feel comfortable. Preaching and bible related speaking has never been my area of comfort though; I tend to feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. But, God was truly with me that day and I got up there and spoke the words God put on my heart, and guess what?! My teacher said I didn’t even seem nervous! Lol Fun! My sermon was on Hebrews 3:18-19, and was titled “A heart of unbelief”, I had so much help from my dad and really my whole family on this lol. It may seem funny, but that class really tried me, it stretched the boundaries of who I thought I was and who God wants me to be…I really had to rely on God’s strength. Through that class God brought a lot things into my heart, like speaking in public forums someday about relationships, dating, and emotional issues, I really feel like that’s somewhere God wants to put me in the future, and I hope to be ready for it when it comes. Also, the “sermon” gave me a little way to express myself in class, I’m normally pretty quiet in a class setting and it takes me a long time to open up; the sermon kind of helped me to show my heart a little better.

Random note: I wore my Nirvana top to preach in…it helped me feel like me :)

December:

December I got to have my wonderful friends Amanda and Amber come stay at my house for the first time! I loved, loved, loved, and having those girls in my home and showing them my church and my small town! They came on Friday the 17, and Crys and I had the pleasure of cooking them a meal, I love cooking for my friends, it makes my heart so happy! We chatted around the table and ate; we took a walk at the bay and took some pictures. Later that night we decorated some sugar cookies that I had made the batter for earlier, it was so fun being in the kitchen together! We then exchanged presents while sitting by the Christmas tree, and then relaxed and watched Inception (The Oliver girls brought it lol :). The next morning we all had lunch together before the girls had to leave; we went to the Firehouse Grill in El Campo and ate on their rooftop patio, it was so cold and sunny lol, and the waiter took forever with the food, but we still had a lovely lunch together…I seriously wish we could have lunch dates more often…I love my friends so much! After the meal, which actually was really good (except for the side salad and garlic toast lol), we took pictures in front of Wal-Mart before the girls went on their way lol…Wal-Mart is the store of friends! Ha ;p

(Crystal, Amanda and I standing in the bay pavilion)

(The pretty cookies we decorated! Yum!)

(Amanda, me, and Amber standing outside of Wal-Mart before the girls left, ha! Random!)

It was a great time for us all, and it definitely made my Christmas season! I’m not really a holiday kind of girl, so having my favorite people around me during the “joyful season”, makes it so much better! Can’t wait to do it again :)

~So, wow, ha, that’s my 2010 in review! It was a year so filled with pain and joy and change, and it was so hard and trying, but God was with me through it all…and I mean through it ALL! I had to confront a lot of things last year, and I had to come clean, God’s grace was truly sufficient! Praise God! Thank you my sweet and loving, ever strong God for getting me through 2010 and making it beautiful! I can’t wait to see what You have in store for me this year, 2011! Let’s go on this journey together, I am Yours my Savoir! This year is dedicated to You; use me for Your glory! I am Your servant. When I’m walking with You, only lovely possibilities await me…:)

~Cecily Priscilla

2010 in review – A year of change, growth and happiness (Part 1)

Ah, it is half way through the first month of the new year friends, 2011 is in full swing…how lovely :) I’m so ready to see what God has for me this year, what plans and trips and friends He has, what dreams He wants to plant. But before i completely dive into blogging about this years events, i feel it is only right to go over what happened in 2010. It was a very eventful year for me, i feel like i was in constant motion in some way or another; it was a very complex yet simple year, and i always want to remember it, for it was vital to me. So, here is in order, part one of my review of the notable events that took place in my 2010. I hope you enjoy reading along :) Cheers to the passage of time!

January:

January was greeted by the first concert of the year; Red, Pillar, The Wedding, and Me in Motion. The show was held at The Riverside Multiplex in Victoria, a gritty local rock venue, which looks way snazzier on the inside than it does on the outside lol. The show was incredible! It was mine and Crystal’s first time seeing any of the 4 bands, and they rocked the place! Red was my favorite of night; so electric and intense! Their songs “Let Go” and “Death of Me” had a very emotional meaning for me that night, and singing them out in a packed sweaty crowd was amazing! Great way to start the year, I say!

(Rawk fists in the air for Red!)

March:

In March i spent a few days up in Brenham to visiting my cousins, and seeing their church. At the time I was checking into the churches school of ministry, so I sat in on a class and got to meet and have lunch with the students. Such wonderful people, and they embraced me so sweetly! I had a great time getting to know them for the short while I was there. That night I went to my first “Tailgate Party” that the church was holding at Blinn College, it was freezing outside! But there were Smores and a big fire pit so that helped :) I had a fun getting to laugh and talk, and just hang out with the many different people there that night. I made some new awesome friends in the process, definitely worth standing out in the cold! Thanks to my cousin Brittany for talking my anti-social self into staying for the whole party lol :)

 

 (hanging by someone’s truck with my cousin Robert Kyle  and others at the tailgate party…i look cold lol.)

While in Brenham I had the chance to spend the day with my awesome cousin, Robert Kyle, who I don’t get to see very often, we took in some lunch and a movie (Alice in Wonderland), and toured his town, it was lovely :) I so miss getting to hang with him, he’s awesome :) That night, which was a Friday, we went to see a band, Jesus Culture, on the Campus Awakening Tour held at a church in Bryan. What a service! I had never felt the power of God so strong than I did in that night! I’m not used to worship services that are that Holy Spirit led! I remember a moment in the service where the band had us hold hands with the people next to us and pray for them, I was standing next to my cousin Robert Kyle and his friend Kayla, so we took each other’s hands and prayed…it felt like a special moment. And there were many special moments that night, like feeling the Holy Spirit’s presence while the band jammed an almost reggae groove at the end of the night. But the moment I will remember the most is when I received a word from God…now, I don’t really do the whole “God told me to tell you this” thing, but this was in line with what God had been placing in my heart for months, and it checked out scripturally. In short, during the service I asked God that if there was something He wanted to tell me, that he would let someone come up to me, as opposed to me going up and getting prayer for “a word”, like everyone else was. God answered my prayer, and in turn, changed my life and way of thinking; it brought me to life again. And when I’m losing perspective I remind myself of what God said to me that night. I needed that Word, and I needed those days in Brenham, my heart had been so tired and hard, and it needed refreshing, and praise God, thanks to my cousin and her husband for inviting me and opening up their home to me, I got that.

A couple weeks later that month, thanks to my cousins, the Brenham church came to my church and blessed us by sprucing up our church! They painted, and decorated, and repaired things…all while singing songs and smiling, yeah, they rock. They created us a rockin black youth room, gave our plain dining room walls a bright sunny color, and gave our church a little kick start. I got to help make lunch for them while they worked, and as funny as it sounds I loved it, because it allowed me to in a small way bless them back. We had one incredible service the night before they left, with my cousin’s husband leading worship, and their church praying prayers over us, it was beautiful and so special. I think one of the most special things is when family members pray over you, and when you are surround by whole church with their arms extend out to you blessing you; it was a lovely moment.

(dinning hall with some fresh sunny paint!)

 

(Rockin youth room!)

April:

April is the month of The Rock and Worship Road Show

In April I went with Crystal, our parents, and Pam to The Rock and Worship Road Show in Dallas, this was the second year we all went, and it’s become a kind of a tradition we all have to go to the tour when it stops in Dallas. What an awesome and beautiful show that night! God really showed up that night; I felt His presence so strong I was just in awe! The lineup was MercyMe, David Crowder, Family Force 5, Francesca Battistelli, and Fee; with such an eclectic mix of artistes you ended up switching between dancing your tail off (Family Force 5 baby!), to lifting your hands and swaying in worship…all the ingredients for my perfect night :) This was a hard show for me in all honesty; the show the year before was very special…it was the reason I fell in love, so going again this year, and being out of that love and still hurt from it, was very emotional. But, God made that night a night of joy and peace for me, I had a blast dancing my somberness away, and I said a peaceful resolute “Goodbye” during an acapella rendition of “Amazing Grace” led by MercyMe and the thousands of people in the stadium. It was beautiful.

 

The next morning before leaving Dallas we went and found what is now all us girls’ favorite spots, Society Bakery, and Opening Bell Coffee. Love these places! Society has the best most decadent cupcakes I have tasted! Their moist and fluffy cake and thick and creamy frosting makes them stand out from all the rest! Their peanut butter cupcake was like heaven and I could have eaten five in a row! It’s a small place, but very warm and quant, where quality is huge and the baked goods, as well as the staff, are sweet! Opening bell is the very epitome of “indie coffee shop” in the best way! Down in the basement of a building, the atmosphere is cozy, vintage, and very indie and almost grunge. Board games, sofas, local music for sale, an intimate stage and the great music playing (M.I.A baby!) made us swoon, and the coffee is…BETTER THAN STARBUCKS! I said it yo! Their sandwiches rock cats as well! (Spicy chicken salad!)

 

May:

In May I turned 21! I was blessed enough to get to spend the anniversary of my birth with my family and my best friend and her family in my favorite city; Austin, Texas baby!

Austin is the city I would choose to be in everyday of my life, so naturally I wanted to be there for my birthday, and the city did not disappoint! (It never does darling :) My friend Amanda’s sister, Amber, was having a graduation ceremony the day before my birthday so we went to Austin a day earlier so we could attend the celebration. What a beautiful event it was, and i was so honored to be able to share in it!

The Next day for my birthday my family and I spent the day in Austin with Amanda, Amber, and their parents, so fun to have both family’s together! We started the day by going to a little cupcakery/bakery called Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop and getting some yummy cupcakes, and admiring the cute retro décor! We then went on to the Botanical Gardens and took some time to explore the beautiful flowers and plants, and take advantage of the scenery by snapping some shots of us all. Then it was on to Zilkler Park where we enjoyed a sweet and relaxing picnic; my parents bought a little chocolate cake from the grocery store so I wouldn’t miss out on a actually birthday cake lol, and Amanda and Amber presented me with the cutest little pink cupcake journal, and a sweet and beautiful cupcake painting that Amber did herself…I love them both so much!

 

After our picnic Amanda’s parents found out they were having a play on the other side of the park, so we all decided to walk on over. It was a free production of A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream set to 60’s music! How whimsy and fun! We all enjoyed sitting in the grass taking in all the people who with their hippy style looked so Austin! Lol. The play was incredible and entertaining, the music and costumes were so lovely and rocking! And they had fairies! Lol I was in awe! Lol. The night ended by going to a little place called Taco Express, for some really bad coffee and the most Austin sounding live music! This place made you feel so local Austin, with the grungy hole in the wall southern feel, watching the cars pass on the highway right above, it felt electric. The band that night had one heck of a female bluegrass vocalist, and as they played covers of The Beatles I loved how people would just stand up from their tables and dance ha, so fun! It was the perfect Austin birthday night, and I got to spend it with my favorite people…how blessed was I :)

 

The next day I went to CoCo’s Café and picked up some freaking yummy strawberry banana bubble tea! I LOVE BUBBLE TEA!! Coco’s makes their own pearls for their tea, it makes for great quality drinks! After that we popped in at a couple of shops on SOCO for a few minutes before meeting up Amanda and Amber. We girls then got all dolled up and got delicious cupcakes at Hey Cupcake (and got hit on by the cupcake guy lol), and went to dinner at Olive Garden. Once in for the night, we stayed up late watching a movie and chatting, and then attended church together the next morning…it was lovely :)

 

 

July:

July was the month that I tried my hand at helping out with my churches summer camp, Camp Lost Pines, in Warda, TX.

I found out I am not, nor will I ever be, a camp type of person lol. But, I had a lovely time getting to know all the other staffers, and make some great new friends and connections. I have been in the church my whole life, but I really don’t know many people in the COGOP that are around my age group, so it was amazing to see that they do in fact exist…and have tattoos and piercings as well lol. My friend Damaris happened to be going to help at the camp as well and we shared a room together; i loved getting to talk and laugh and grow closer to her during camp! I also shared some great conversations and laughs with the other staffers, I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything…it was what I needed. I remember the last night I was there Damaris and another girl (who was actually my childhood pastor’s granddaughter lol) laughed for hours in our bunks! I don’t even remember what was so funny, but it had us rolling in laughter!

I went to camp to get over myself and meet others; to serve and make my summer mean something eternal, and I got that by helping out at the intermediate camp for 10-12 year old kids. Those children had my heart by the time they walked in the room! The little girls were the sweetest things, they would just come up and hug you for no reason, and they looked up to you just because you were older…so precious. One little girl wanted to draw me lol, and another wanted to always sit next to me and talk about makeup lol; that was the girl who melted my heart, I had the privilege and blessing to tell her how beautiful she was and I got to give her my undivided attention…I think it blessed me more than her though :) Children are such special beings, and getting to see them pray and worship the Lord, and laugh and get excited was just beautiful!

As far as what I did, I was a “floater” so I just did things here and there, like filling water balloons, posting signs and passing out wrist bands, watching kids during recreation time, and helping set up for meals. T’was fun :)

My camp experience was mixed though, I loved meeting the people I did and am glad I now feel like part of my church, but…sadly some things that happened just left me a bit disillusioned, frustrated, and miffed. All in all though, it was okay, though I don’t know how likely it will be that I’ll be going back lol, but we’ll see :)

(Photo credit:Camp Lost Pines)

Read on for continuation; August – December…:)

~Cecily Priscilla