The Friday when we were still in Gettysburg, one of our members started feeling sick. Sunday morning, he was in so much pain that we took him in to the emergency room. It turned out that he had appendicitis. He went into surgery that day and got out of the hospital Tuesday afternoon. It was rough on him, and hard for the whole group because we had to leave him behind for a couple of days, but it totally turns out that this was good. He got a call from his doctor a few days after he got out. His doctor said that, in the post op examination of the appendix, they found a cancerous tumor that they never would have found without the appendicitis. Turns out that God knows what He's doing, even if we whatever we're going through is extremely inconvenient and painful.

Camp and the United States Christian Commission

The last week has been great. Monday through Friday morning we were at a Christian camp in Ohio. Wow. I would just like to point out that the camp "executive" was on fire for God's Word and work. I heard one of the best quotes on modesty I've ever heard this week (this was a high school camp). "If your clothing is meant to frame your body, it's not pleasing to God. If your clothing is meant to frame your face, it's pleasing to God." Besides the great messages, there were also the fun times, like trail riding and the big thunder storm during the talent show the last night (two of our girls are scared of thunder and lightning). It took the kids just about all week to figure out that we were there and WANTED to have fun with them. Finally, on Thursday we got challenged to a water-drinking contest and carpet ball tournament, both of which we lost. We made up for it Friday morning, though, by challenging the entire camp to a juice/water drinking contest and winning.

We just finished two days of singing for the God and Country festival in Gettysburg PA. It was hosted by the United States Christian Commission. I had never heard of it, most people actually haven't, but I really wish that I had. It was founded during the Civil War, and was comprised of Christians who went to the battlefields, not to fight, but to heal and share God's Word. They went to the most seriously hurt soldiers first, while the surgeons started with the least serious cases. I heard so many stories of battlefield and deathbed conversions that were both humbling and encouraging. The organization was run by volunteers and off of donations. They took clothing and bandages to the wounded, and most importantly, Bibles. They said that a soldier's Bible was so sacred that no one would dream of taking a dead soldier's Bible. They wrote their names in them and always carried them with them. Then when a soldier died, the Commission would take the Bibles and send them with letters about where the soldier died to his family.

I learned so much information from this weekend, I can't begin to remember it all. Most importantly was the quote from Lincoln saying that he was saved and dedicated his life to Christ when he visited the Gettysburg battlefield. The most amusing and interesting was that the Commission used coffee to minister to the troops. They actually had a coffee wagon that made something like 500+ gallons of coffee every hour that they served to soldiers. Kind of like the first Starbucks, but for war-time. I thought some people would appreciate that thought. 

God in the mud pit

So we just had the most memorable, probably most amazing stay of our entire trip. And everyone in the group agrees. Wow.

We were in Darion NY. All of us girls stayed with the youth pastor of the church we were staying at. So part of the amazing time was definitely all the stuff we did hanging out with them. I can sum it up in 2 words: BARLEY and MUDDING. The explanation behind barley is that we were playing the game pit. Pit is a trading game that involved a lot of yelling. Basically, we were all trying to get rid of our barley, but youth pastor had everything we all needed, and knew it, so he just sat back and watched us panic. So funny. And need I explain mudding? Three wheelers and a mud pit. Oh my word. And let me just say that only the girls in our group went. The only guy from Light who got dirty only got dirty because the four of us girls ganged up on him and physically picked him up and threw him in. I just think that it is hilarious that the boys were too prissy to get dirty, but the girls were gung-ho and rarin' to go mud wrestle and three-wheel.

On a more serious note, this youth pastor and his wife were some of the most godly people I have ever met. When I say godly, I mean that they love God and they reflect God's love in everything that they do. They have  a few acres of property, a big house, and lots of outdoor equipment like three wheelers and snowmobiles (and the mud pit out back). They use it all as their ministry. Their house is never empty, because it is full of people that basically have no where else to go. They never turn anyone away, because they said that God gave them everything that they own, and so turn around and share it with those that God brings to them. This included us. Talking to this family was so humbling because, even though they don't have a lot, they have given everything completely to God for Him to use, and He just shines through them. I want people to be able to say the same thing about me.  

2 weeks of food, sight-seeing, and friends

Picking up where I left off last post:

One of the most interesting parts of this trip has been all the food. We eat so much, but that's because it's so GOOD!!!! Eufala OK definitely gets in the top 3 for the food award. The concert was on a Thursday night, and the pastor was worried about getting a crowd out there, so they hosted a fish fry. Anyone who has not attended a southern fish fry has no idea what this means. This means deep fried catfish. Hush puppies to die for. Oh my word.

Republic MO was a great experience too. The pastor's family hosted us for lunch after church. This included brisket and some of the best potatoes I remember eating. Certain other group members were calling them "Victorias." "Spud is eating Victorias." (This church also made big points with us from the mini golf outing, frisbee golf, and movie nights).

At the moment I actually can't decide who gets the third spot for best food to date. There has been so much of it. I mean, potlucks left and right, which some people would not be comfortable with, but I love because of the variety of home-cooked food you get at those things.

Sights that we've seen:

The 12 stations of the cross in Groom, Texas. This is the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. We could see it when we were still 16 miles away. Besides the cross, there were statues of the 12 stations. Then there was the abortion memorial that could break your heart.

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. Need I say any more?

St. Louis. First there was the arch, which is HUGE. Then we went to the cathedral. It was gorgeous. Now I'm definitely NOT very comfortable with ceremony and pomp in church, but the cathedral was still impressive, with statues everywhere and mosaics covering the ceilings and walls. We went to the art museum after that, which had a lot of exhibits that I wouldn't really consider to be art, but rather more historical. They were still cool to see.

We stayed at Caitlin's boyfriend's house one night and did a mini concert. And I learned how to play pool. That was interesting.

We are now in New York State. It's kind of funny, because we keep teasing Caitlin that we couldn't possibly be in New York because there are no sky scrapers anywhere. She threatens us just about every time we say that.

Well I think that's everything since my last post. It's been busy, but it's great so far. Great sights, great food, and great friends. 

Five states, four days. Wow. Also a different time zone most of those nights. That will mess with you. We've hit Indio CA, Kingman AZ, Grants NM, Amarillo TX, and now Moore OK. 

Some memorable moments and quotes: 

"There's like genocide on the van!" (referring to the bugs on the windshield)

"This is all I heard, 'Blah blah blah, I'm a girl, blah blah blah, I have to go to the bathroom.'"

(passing Quality Beef Production in Texas) "Oh, all those cows are gonna die!" "Yeah, its like a concentration camp."

Right now we're all staying in a HUGE house, with a back yard that's big enough that most of the group was playing soccer in it. And we sang for our biggest crowd yet: 233 people. Wow. It's been interesting every night. More to come, I'm sure.

Rehearsal Camp

Rehearsal camp is over. Praise the Lord (I mean really). In all actuality, it was lots of fun. Just also lots of work and stress and exhaustion. It should also be called Boot Camp. Four days of rehearsing from 9 am to 9 pm, with two hour breaks for lunch and dinner. Now you see why it should be called boot camp.

Day one consisted of running through all the music. I mean all of it. It took the entire day to make it through all the songs. Day two was mostly solidifying the parts on several songs, trying to find which ones fit us the best. By the third day, we knew which ones we were performing for our first concert, so the rest of the week was just getting those songs locked in. The end result: 14 songs performed in concert this morning. Not bad, since this is day 5. 

We didn't really spend all our time rehearsing. Monday night Clint's family hosted us for dinner, and Thursday night Ethan's family took us in. That was really great of them. Really great for us. We came away from those nights with memories like the guacamole hot dog and the massage chair. Then there was the day when we all sang veggie tales. . . that story's probably better in person.

So basically the summary of the week is this: really hard, really fun. But let me tell you, I probably won't even touch a piano again until Sunday (if I can help it anyway).

Almost there. . .

So here I am, sitting in an airport with nothing better to do than fool around on the internet. Why, you may ask? Tour is coming.  About two months spent in a van with seven other people, driving across the country. Am I crazy? Maybe. Living out of a suitcase for most of the summer, when I could hang around home and church with my friends. Joy. But in all seriousness, I AM excited. What other way could I find to see so much of the country, so many churches full of brothers and sisters in Christ? And also, what other way would I ever get to know these people who will be/are now my teammates? I think that the fun and ministry should be worth whatever "glorious inconvenience" we experience. As someone in one of my past small groups continually said, "Praise the Lord, what an opportunity!" But I'm not there yet. Still waiting in an airport, desperately hoping that I don't get bumped from my flight.

God's will and glory

Today, we had an amazing chapel service here at school. Dennis Jernigan came and led worship, then later he spoke to us about his ministry and what he does. What impressed me was not just his testimony, which is an amazing story of God's grace, but the way that he ministers now. He has been gifted with an amazing musical ability, but he does not use it for his own gain or glory. He uses it to let God reveal His glory. He has had many opportunities to advance his own career, especially in the Christian music world, but has turned down many contracts with publishing companies because they would not give him the release he needed to do all God called him to. Oh that I could feel so sure of my own calling. I was able to relate to so many parts of his story, the parts about him not knowing where God was leading him next, or what he was supposed to do with his gift. I know that I have been gifted musically as well, and that music is a powerful tool for God's kingdom. I want to impact the world for His kingdom, but don't know how He would have me to do it. My prayer is that I can become so in tune to God's will for my life that He can speak through me, in music as well as words, as easily as He does through Dennis Jernigan.

New Name

I thought I should address the change in the name of my blog. I am still living a life of victory in Jesus Christ, don't worry. But when I stopped to think about what I actually post in this blog, I came to realize that it isn't all about my walk. It's not even about victory. It's completely and totally random.

The other half of the title, "motives," refers to my hobby/life: music. If you are not a musiciam, you probably do not know this, but a motive is a small segment of music, as small as one or two notes, but is unique and distinctive. It is what you come away humming. That's what I write about. Just whatever I am thinking about and feel confident enough about to publish (for instance, remembering a tune enough to feel fine humming it). So that's what the title's all about. And there was your music lesson for the day. Do with it what you will.