4th Of July

The 4th of July is my all time favorite holiday. I love it because it is full of sunshine that turns into burnt skin, belly laughs that make your stomach hurt, a full day on the lake resulting in sore muscles the next day and most importantly it is surrounded by my favorite humans. My family loves tradition. It wouldn't be right if Christmas eve didn't have homemade lasagna and a birthday would feel slightly off it you didn't get to use the "You're Special Today" plate. The fourth of July is full of tradition too. We have a pitch in breakfast in our driveway with all of the neighbors, a lil mini parade down the 56th block of Delaware street, a flag burning ceremony that never fails to give me goosebumps, and finally we spend the rest of the day at our happy place, the lake, and then watch the fireworks on the boat. It's a perfect day and every year I look forward to it. This year I am in California and didn't get to take part in my favorite day. I love comfort and familiarity. I love tradition and being with my people and I didn't get that this year.

This summer is uncomfortable.

At first I tried to fight the discomfort I was feeling. After talking to a few friends I have realized that I need to be uncomfortable in order to grow. My job is hard and unpredictable but Jesus remains. I'm being molded into a new person this summer because I am learning what it means to have Jesus as my constant.

Despite the fact that the 4th of July didn't look like what it normally looks like to me we had a day full of belly laughs and adventure. We drove to a small little quaint town called Grass Valley and walked around. We had lunch and found some thrift stores. Liz, Jen, Jenny & I came back to camp and hung out with some of our new friends. The night ended around a campfire. A campfire is one of the most life-giving and relaxing things. For me, its a thin place. Shauna Niequist* says thin places are "where the boundary between the divine world and the human world becomes almost nonexistent, and the two, divine and human, can for a moment, dance together uninterrupted." It's a glimpse of heaven to sit around and talk. I'm convinced that heaven is going to be full of campfires.

I'm learning to live in the uncomfortable. It's extremely hard and challenging but oh man it is worth it. Cheers to learning and growing!

(Sometimes at camp when you have a day off you take a shower, finally, and then take pictures.)

*If you haven't heard of Shauna Niequest please grab one of her books! I'm currently reading Bittersweet and it's amazing. She also has written Cold Tangerines.