Sweet redemption song, You took my shame, took all my wrongs...

This has been a very moving, emotional, and perfect timing weekend.  The quarter ended Friday so I start a brand new (and last) quarter with my students.  I was away on a retreat to Lake Champion in Glen Spey, NY with the Junior High students from youth group.  It was a great weekend, not only to watch the students reconnect with God (and some for the first time feeling God's presence in their life) but also for me to reconnect and refocus my life.  I have realized I have set some priorities a little too high and should really focus on God's call for my life and spend more time with Him.  I've been placing my job and my life before Him.  He has a great mission for my life and I am eager to hear where I need to be going.  For now, I know that my mission is to be a music teacher and influence students in a positive way.  I know that right now I am at Eastern Christian for a reason and I am beginning to understand that I am not only at EC for the students, but also for myself.  This school has really changed who I am, shown me where my heart longs to be, and opened my eyes to this temporary home that I am living in.

These weekend retreats always go by way too fast and always leave lasting impressions on my life.  Wether I remember the retreat and how I felt in 2 months will be a different story.  I am starting anew.  I am starting a new life and putting God first and seeing where He leads me.  I am very excited about this and am excited to see how all the students continue on His mission for their life.

Top 5 things from the weekend at Lake Champion:
1. Car rides with some pretty awesome 6th graders (singing, hearing stories, jokes).
2. Seeing 2 students of mine at LC with their church.
3. "Project Experience" and understanding the broken world we live in.
4. Club sessions and students feeling the presence of God for the first time (the room was filled with his presence and you could feel it).
5. Hearing students stories from the weekend and how God has impacted them in a day.

MHCC "Ignite" Grade 6-8 2010-2011