tis the season.. how i love it so!

i should probably stop talking about how it's been a while since i posted and just start posting more! haha :) guilty.

well, we just got back from Christmas break and have jumped right back into work. it felt weird working again, but it is so great to be back and with the interns! i missed them so much. to catch yall up on what has been going on i will list some things! the week before we left for home we had a Christmas party/ get together every night for 4 nights straight! monday through thursday we worked during the day and had Christmas parties at night! so much fun, but really exhausting. we had a staff wide party at Shine FM in baltimore who is part of Peter and John Ministries. the Ranch is also part of P&J Ministries. it was so fun to see how the station works and putting faces to the voices you hear on the radio! that night we had a party for the community around the ranch. i believe i mentioned that before in the last blog. it was a great way to get to know the neighbors. i played with the kids all night.. too much fun :) the next morning we had a just ranch staff gift exchange. i got an awesome travel coffee mug from Morgan. woohoo! more parties followed.. it was a great time connecting with others, but i really do feel exhausted after weeks like that.. i needed some down time and alone time for sure. on friday Matt let us leave early right after lunch because of the blizzard that was coming! good thing he did because it hit and left us under 18inches of snow! absolutely beautiful! well, instead of going home i drove to my friend carly's house who had just gotten back from Africa. she was there for 3 months. i ended up being snowed in at her house for 3 days! didn't bother me any :) :) we had a lot of catching up to do anyways. it was great to reconnect and hear about how God worked in her down in Africa. then the long trek home.. ugh.. 4 hours turned into 7 hours.. thank you traffic and snow on the sides of the roads. spent a great week at home spending much needed down time and quality time with friends and family.. you ever wish you could clone yourself and be 20 places at once?? sometimes i do because there are so many friends i want to see and spend time with.. i havent even gotten to spend time in the burg yet!! i will make it there, mark my words! i had a great Christmas with a special guest! Stephen came down for Christmas eve and morning. it was one of my favorite Christmas presents :) as great as it was to see family and spend time with them it can also be tough. let's just say my last day home wasn't the best.. arguments, bad memories, and the struggle with guilt weighed heavy on my heart for a few days.. the Lord's love endures forever and for that i am grateful.. he washes me clean and white as snow daily. thank you Lord for new days, new chances, and new opportunities to grow and learn from mistakes. thank you for being my refuge. i did my devotional yesterday and it was on how the Lord is our refuge.. it is something we always hear, but i had never taken the time to look into what a refuge really is. i discoved that it is a safe place. God is my safe place.. He is the person i run to and the person i feel completely safe with. where i know i am forgiven and where i am learning. i can't imagine not having Him to run to.

a little update on what is happening now.. we are continuing to prepare for Winter Meltdown! Winter Meltdown is an event we put on for 100's of youth for 6 weekends. We want to challenge them to grow in the faith and for some start the new journey of following the Lord. Working on the set and OTM trying to get the building looking tip top for the event. i have been assigned to read 4 poems from memory. not gonna lie i am very nervous! i have 1 memorized and half of the really really long one i have to do. i know i will have them memorized in time, but i am afraid i will feeze. it's weird cause i am a huge people person and i can be in front of large amounts of people and be fine.. but having to memorize something makes things more nerve wrecking for me.. make sense? haha if God brought me to it He will bring me through it!! just gotta believe it! :) positive self talk.. learning that too! ;) the poems i have to read are deep. i mean deep for kids! and kids wrote these poems! the one that wasn't written by kid's is really long.. i have memorized a little over half, but the catch is that it is slam poetry.. that means i have speak it with a lot of soul.. funny they choose me.. :) i am excited yet very nervous.. pray for me! :)

i will update more on this week when it's over.. it is a very eventful week.. we have a very large group in now and we have the summer staff reunion mid week for RVR.. it's a new years thing so we will be working new years pretty late, but it will be fun!

along the journey,
beth.