The Journey

We just spent 10 days at the beautiful Salvation Army's Camp Hoblitzelle in Texas.

📸: laurajdake

The Bible leaders for the week were Captains Andy & Abby Miller. Our theme was, The Journey. 

We have to own that the journey is not your own.
Captain Andy Miller III

God has a marvelous path or journey for our lives. Life happens and sometimes we get detoured from the path He has planned for us but He is with us guiding us. We have to listen to His voice. Many times we listen to our heart because it makes us feel good at the time. Captains Miller said this, Our hearts lean toward sin. Following your heart has lead couples to adultery and has led people right out of the church. We need to have a pure heart. 

The theme verse was found in Philippians. I love the translation they used. The Voice. The creator of the universe, the God who knew me at the very existence of my being, the God who created me, created a journey for me. Nothing comes as a surprise to Him. I love capturing images with my camera. I think telling a story with images comes so much easier to me than writing words on a page but I love how this translation paints this image. God, the creator, will not stop in mid-design but He is constantly perfecting me. 

I thank God for the opportunities he has provided for me. I'm grateful for the friends and family I have that keep me accountable.

I am confident that the Creator, who has begun such a great work among you,
will not stop in mid-design but will keep perfecting you...
Philippians 1:6 The Voice

Always Hope

I love when I open the vrsly app to see what the word or phrase of the day is and it's the word hope. 

I claim it everyday.

I'm not talking about hoping to get everything on my Wishlist that's a mile long, or hoping for the perfect job or hoping my dreams of travel to here or there come true, or hoping I get the best shot that gets me lots of likes on Instagram.  Even when I hoped and prayed he would get better...I hoped God would answer my prayer. Selfishly. 

When people disappoint, when you don't have the finances, when the flesh fails and there's nothing left, we have hope in a living Jesus, who calms our spirit and gives us courage to face whatever challenge.

Jesus always takes care of us.

Provides.

Loves.

He answers our prayers. His timing is perfect and when we get to Heaven all the pieces will fit together.

The Giving Keys...HOPE

The Giving Keys is such a cool concept. You wear and embrace the words on these keys and then when the time is right you pay it forward to someone who needs the message more than you.

My key says HOPE. It is a word we embraced as a family during Doug's journey with cancer. It was a long journey but Doug said if one person came to know Christ through his experience than it would have been worth the journey. God healed Doug, not the way we wanted. We wanted to experience much more life making so many more memories. We love and miss him so much and there is a void left that can't be filled by anyone else, but God healed Doug...perfectly healed!

Doug lives in heaven with Jesus today and I have a hope...we all have a HOPE! One day, I too will live with Jesus, perfectly healed from my own imperfections!