I have just returned back home after a month of being out and about at various and a sundry adventures.
I spent 10 days down in Lakeland at the Revival with Julie and Nicole and it was absolutely fantastic. The Revival has continued under so much scrutiny and I am saddened because I only had positive experiences down there. For me it was a time to re-charge and re-focus and I found it incredibly full of the Spirit of God.
From there I spent a week in Gainesville, GA hanging out with some AIM friends and WR buddies and preparing for Training Camp for the October racers. I can’t explain how good it was for my heart to have this time. We went boating, ate good food, watched movies, prayed for each other and just generally enjoyed each other. It was a sweet time of reunion and fun.
Training camp for the October squad was amazing. I have so much to say about it that I am not sure where to start. 
Watch for more blogs to come. I have 52 new awesome teammates for this year and I am absolutely convinced they are some of the best. It was humbling to hang with such a great group of people and pour into their lives for a week. Completely my blessing to be with them and I can’t wait to do it for a whole year!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was time this week to return back to reality. I have some commitments this week at home and it was time to head back north. I was heartbroken as I said goodbyes to Sean, Julie and the Pitts (my hosts for 2 weeks!!!). We are all heading to different parts of the country/world and it could be a bit before we rendevous again. There is just something special about people who see you for who you really are and love you anyways.
7 hours later I found myself driving through what I consider my “home”, Lexington, and being pressed for time, I didn’t stop and say hello. Tears flowed again as I thought of all the people I would love to hug and spend some time with. On the phone with Nicole (the craziest best friend a girl could have) she said something that really touched my heart. She said that it must seem that I am always homesick because there are pieces of me everywhere. We paused and talked about it a minute and as I continued driving I realized how right she was.
There are two ways to think about it and depending on my mood I go back and forth. First off, I can live in a constant state of heartache and wishing I was somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else, but that really doesn’t seem to be very productive. I am a big fan of living in the present and enjoying the moment. My heart definitely hurts at times, but I would rather think about how lucky I am to have so much love in my life. To think that I can spend the summer traveling all over the place with some of the most amazing friends and then get to come home to more amazing friends and family is pretty darn lucky!
As I reflected further I thought about how I essentially lived this way for a year. We would pour our hearts out for a month in one location and then have to pack up and move on, only to do it all over again. There was always the choice to either invest in the ministry and love on the people, or check out and just survive the month. As we got further and further into the year it became increasingly difficult to continue to open your heart knowing it would just be hurt again in a few weeks, but we came to a place of sufficiency in God. It is only by His grace that our hearts could be so open and yet so broken all the time.
I feel like this summer has been a reminder from God of His grace all over again. There is absolutely no reason that the same grace that covered my heart all year won’t continue during this time in the States; I only need to be aware of it and walk in it. The Lord has gently reminded me that though my heart hurts sometimes His grace is always sufficient.
