"Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done. Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are."-- Who Am I? Casting Crowns

These lyrics begin to express what is being reiterated constantly in my life...
1. That I could never earn my salvation.
2. That I'm nothing w/o Him.
3. Jesus Paid it All.

The acceptance of His grace is all it really takes.
The submission to His will is what makes our hearts be still.
No amount of works done, can match the triumph of the Son.

We can know it all, and really know nothing, until we know Him.

These thoughts may seem random, but this message is the driving force of my life. I intended to write a recap of the last few days at Shepherd, and while I may get to that at some point--this is what's coming out. I can't be reminded enough that any "works" we do here are just a manifestation of our faith..we aren't getting any brownie points-aka extra love from our Father for what we are doing. We are to be doers and not just hearers only, but we must always be conscious that we aren't doing our "doing" to earn anything. Through faith in Christ, we have unmerited eternal favor. Once we have received that gift, we can't help but get to work. It's our joy...it's what we were created for! Ephesians 2:8-10

Now I know most of yuns-yes I said yuns, know this..had to type this out before I could say anything else. Day camp's been great the past few days. I'm reminded of my human frailty each day, and that I've gotta rely on the Almighty for continual strength. The kids in my class are awesome. Some of them remind me of myself at times- pushing their limits and testing us folks in authority. Shewweee, we have a class full of diverse personalities, backgrounds, and cultures. Lovin' the differences, and how each child has their own special role in the family of our God.

I'm learning a lot through my class, and my partners. My partners and I have had conflicting viewpoints at times about teaching styles, and classroom management. Unfortunately, I've been shown quite a few times, that my ways aren't always best, or even right. Crrrazy, huh?
No, I'm sure none of you are surprised by this, but I've been encouraged by being able to discuss our differences openly & the opportunity to learn from each other.

Speaking of learning, I learned a bit this weekend by going cliff diving (great times). Note to all readers, eastern KY is not the only place with so called "hick-towns". I had a blast at this random lil' town in southern Indiana, maybe b/c I felt like I was close to my people...or maybe just cause it doesn't get much better when all you have are rocks, water, and some rope for entertainment.

Well, we'll be heading back to the house soon w/o internet access so I'm signing off for now. Hope you all are blessed, and know through the good, bad, and the ugly ur always loved...Cya lata