To My Former Campers:

Our summer together will forever have a special place in my heart. I hope you never forget the laughs we shared, the ridiculous clothes we wore, the Disney songs we jammed out to, and the fellowship we shared all through a small portion of our summer spent at a camp. Time goes on, though, and time has the ability to steal and destroy the memories we created. My prayer for you is that as you grow older, you never forget these five important things.

I want you never to forget it is okay to be a kid.

It is okay to be kid when you’re a kid. Don’t rush growing up even though the world will insult innocence every chance it gets. As you even grow older, remember it is okay to act like a kid. However, know the difference between childish and child-like.

I want you to never forget a little bit of sugar is totally fine.

At camp, let’s be real; we ate a lot. We ate a lot of carbs and we ate a lot of sugar. From the candy daily, to the never ending trips to get ice cream, at camp we didn’t care. Life is too short to be constantly counting calories. Don’t go crazy, now… but live your life.

I want you to never forget a hike is worth it.

All the outdoorsy adventures we shared were great in the end after you stopped complaining about your sore leg or the bees buzzing around you. The hike is tough, yes, but it makes you appreciate the view even more when it was a long and tiring journey. Not to get all old Miley Cryus on you, but the climb in our lives is also important and will be worth it when we get to the point where we can see our purpose and success.

I want you to never forget you aren’t good enough for the world, and that's fine.

As you grow old you need to give up trying to be pretty enough, successful enough, rich enough, smart enough, or anything enough for the world. You will never be good enough for this world. That is okay. Never focus on your worth coming from this world because there will always be a critic. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share. Know your worth comes from your Creator and His love for you, His greatest masterpiece.

I want you to never forget you are loved.

You are loved by me, but more importantly you are loved by the Creator of the stars, the mountains, and you. I want you as the years go by to always remember that I love you so much, but God loves you more than I can even imagine. He has a plan and purpose for you. He is a greater role model and friend than I could ever be.

My selfishness wishes you would never forget me, but at the end of the day, I know that chances are, you might. But what I truly wish you would never forget is the carefree and joyful camper I know and love. Throughout life and as you grow you will find yourself forgetting that camper. But when your boss is bugging you, you significant other is frustrating you, or you fail your final exam, channel that camper. That camper is beautiful and will help you get through the ups with joy and the downs with hope while reminding you, you are not alone.

Thank you for letting me be apart of your life even if it was only for less than a month. You have changed me more than I could ever change you. You have taught me how to live with joy, how to be convicted of my sins more, but most importantly how great our Creator is. May your days and years be filled with as much joy as you were when the rain rained out our hike.

Thank you to all my campers who have impacted me and pushed me to grow with my walk with God. I pray for your journey and that you never forget I am only a phone call away.