CC4G: Update #3

Hello, friends and family!

Right now, I am sitting in the corner of a red sofa in one of the best coffee shops in the nation (The Dripolator aka "The Drip") located in the mountains of North Carolina sipping on an (expensive... but oh, so good) Iced Killer Bee latte while the song Waters by JJ Shiplett is pouring into my ears. Life. Is Good.

So how have I been, you may ask? Really good. Like, really good. Really. It's crazy, and I mean the absolutely-insane-I-can't-believe-it kinda crazy, that I'll be leaving this place in less than two weeks. It's also crazy to think that just a week ago I felt so ready to go back home to hard water pressure, homemade meals, and five hour long naps. But now that my time here is winding down and coming to a close, I'm beginning to realize how much I'm actually going to miss this place.

The little mouse that shows up every once in a while in our cabin.
The long, hard, exhausting climb up to my little home on the hill.
The paint wars (...even though the paint gets in my eyes, ears, and nose, and basically every other hole in my body).
The mud pit. Yes. THE MUD PIT.
The shaving cream parties.
The mountain sunsets & sunrises.
The lake that actually resembles more of a heart-shaped pond.
Making Pazooki (this delicious dessert consisting of half-baked cookie dough and vanilla ice cream. Yes.) in The Lodgemahal with my two closest friends here.
Hearing little giggles and whispers from my girls when all I'm trying to do is take a nap.
The cool, hip, and artsy town of Asheville, NC.
Driving down the highway with those awesome mountain views you can't get anywhere else.
This restaurant called Biscuit Head where I ate the equivalent of my body weight in biscuits and jams.
Standing on chairs in the dining hall and singing songs from the Sound of Music.
Random dance parties and dabbing when it doesn't make sense.
Comforting ten 11-year-old girls during thunder and hail storms.
Hearing 500+ voices sing along to a worship song that I wrote.
Singing my sweet angels to sleep every night.

Ahh. I'm tearing up. I must stop making myself feel this way.

We're halfway through the last session already. After this session, we only have one more week of starter camp, which is for the girls (or parents) that aren't ready for a full two weeks of camp. This session has been so great. My girls are so sweet, wild, and crazy! Luckily, no mice have shown up in the cabin (yet... *knocks on wood*). I had the chance to play a worship song I wrote called Echo at chapel twice. It was so amazing to see so many people praising God through lyrics that I wrote from my heart. And just to think that those words strike different emotions in every girl that sang my song... that means the world. That's what I want my music to mean... something different to everyone. When you take a song and apply it to your own personal circumstances, it becomes all the more beautiful. And seeing over 500 people do that very thing was something I'll never forget, and something I want to do the rest of my life.

It's hard to say this, but I think God has been confirming to me lately that this was my last summer working as a counselor at a summer camp. And that breaks my heart. But at the same time, I know that there comes a time in everyone's life when your season changes. And this may be that time for me.

Next summer I want to work on my music. I don't know what in the world that's going to look like, but the Lord has placed this idea and desire in my heart and I haven't let go of the thought of it. I may be dreaming big, but my God is even bigger, and I'm excited to see where He takes me as I trust in Him and follow the narrow road.

Recently, I wrote this song called Kaleidoscope Eyes. It's about how when I see the gray and the unknown in my future, I must look to God because through His eyes, my future is bright and colorful and unexpected with every twist and every turn - just like a kaleidoscope. I was talking to one of my friends the other day about how crazy it is to think of how different my life and my dreams were a year ago today. WOAH. Who knows where I'll be next year at this time?! This is what I'm learning to love about these years of my life. To be brave and to take these little steps forward into the unknown is exactly what God wants for me. To put all my trust and faith in Him, just knowing that these little gut-feelings of mine are worth something and worth the pursuit.

Recently in one of my quiet times, I was reading the parable of talents in Matthew 25. Basically, it's about this rich guy who goes on vacay and gives his servants "talents" to take care of while he's gone. He gives one guy five talents, another guy two talents, and the last guy one talent. The guys with five and two talents work hard to double the number of talents their master gave them so that when he returns, the guy with five gives him back ten and the guy with two gives him back four. However, the guy with one talent just buries it in the ground and walks away like "whatevs." When their master returns, he's super happy with the two dudes who doubled their talents but really disappointed with the lazy dude who just buried his one talent in the ground.

This story reminded me of the "talents" (not bags of gold, but actual skills/gifts) that God has given ME. My music. I don't think He wants me to bury my talent in the ground and dismiss every opportunity to pursue it - rather, He wants me to work hard every day and use my talent to build His kingdom. How cool is it going to be when I get to heaven and am able to stand in front of my Lord and tell him that I wasn't lazy and didn't just bury my talent in the ground. Even when it was hard, I want to tell Him that I chose to pursue it wholeheartedly ONLY for glorifying Him and not myself. I don't want to live this life of mine in indifference and laziness. Do you? Think about that. What are your talents? Have you buried them? Maybe it's time to dig them back up.

Ahh. Well, that's another blog post in the books, kids. I love you all and am so happy that you're keeping in touch with my life. Adios muchachos.

- Kenz