the power of coaching.

Coach Mark Richt on the Dan Lebatard Show (ESPN) from Georgia Football on Vimeo.

coach richt shares his testimony on national television, showing you the power of discipleship through sport and coaching.  amen.  

The Weaver.

My life is but a weaving
between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the underside.

Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.”

- Benjamin Malachi Franklin


ran across this while listening to a sermon recommended by good bud jess:  http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=82012149352

pennsylvania roadtripping #2

so, yes.  back to the little trip i was making.  sunday, i put the pedal to the medal.  listened to some good jams.  marveled at our country's beauty.  enjoyed the quiet.  ate up the time i had to think.  especially after the busyness of the spring and camp season.

if you forgive my cell phone for its poor picture quality, take a looksy at some pics of the drive up:

state #2: driving through the heart of north carolina
(state #1: south carolina but i didn't take any
pictures there on the way up)

state #3:  virginia is for lovers

state #4:  west virginia

one of two mountain tunnels i encountered

state #5:  pennsylvania

the beautiful rolling hills of the laurel mountains,
 close to citi kidz

"we made it."  whew.  johns creek, ga to rector, pa.  me and my little kia rolled into camp at approximately 4:20 pm.  and, if i was honest, i would tell you that i had literally no idea what to expect, and i was a bit worried i would hate my time there.  would i enjoy it?  would i learn anything?  would i like the people i met, as i knew NO ONE?  would it even be worth the long drive to see this little ole camp in pa?  why did i even come all this way?  but, by 7:00 pm that night, i texted eric, thanking him for connecting me to timotheus, telling him i knew it was already well worth my time.

as my days there concluded, i knew this trip was one of a kind:

1. i saw citi kidz.  in the flesh.  i have heard about this place for at least two summers.  eric talks about it a lot; he even stole some stuff from them - and, i can see why.  they know how to get hype.  and inner-city kids got rhythm.  the counselors follow code 55 (five campers within five feet) like it's their job.  the counselors have a huge heart for the kids.  for the campers to know jesus.  timotheus, the camp director, is a phenomenal leader and mentor.  and, did i mention they work their tails off?  c'mon overnight camp?  hello?  kids 24/7?  i was even tired.  and, i was just walking around all day.  the activities and schedule were pretty similar to camp all-american, and i would imagine any other camp.  it was just super cool to see their take on things...
2. i met some awesome people.  remember how i was worried about that?  i was welcomed into the leadership team of citi kidz.  about eight of them.  awesome fellas and ladies.  they answered all the questions i wanted, let me follow them around during the day, and invited me into their nightly debrief meetings.  as an aside, today in the cso office, eric said god created me to ask questions.  ha...i so enjoyed spending time with them and sad i was unable to get to know all of them well.  i learned a lot from these guys.  about overnight camps, yes.  but, about the lord.  these folks walk by the spirit.  and trust the lord.  seriously.  so encouraging and challenging.  for example, i sat and chatted with dominique for a good 45 minutes about how god has provided for he and his fiance.  it was pretty crazy some of the stuff that god has done for them.  and, they are trusting that he will continue to take care of them.  really take care of them...during the leadership team meeting my last night there, i sat in "the chair" listening to all the encouraging words these folks were saying about me.  stuff i have been told many a times, but so cool and confirming to hear from folks you met five days ago.  'nique, mooka, dc, andrea, amanda, cassandra, goodie, caleb, demetrius, kendra, and timotheus - you guys are missed.  
3. i rested.  really rested.  meaning, spiritual rest.  i even prayed for that as i drove up.  i didn't actually think it would happen though, cuz i was coming up here to observe and learn, not relax and rest.  regardless, had a lovely chat with timotheus tuesday.  mentioned to him how we finished caa on saturday, and i would begin support raising as soon as i returned to ga.  he heard that and gave me the freedom to treat my time at citi kidz as a furlough.  whoa.  i so appreciated that.  i spent the next day chilling at the lake.  reading.  praying.  meditating.  even beholding his beauty and trying to understand how big he is (isaiah 40)...so needed...especially, as i had realized that previous saturday how i had failed miserably at simply resting and knowing the lord this summer (see pa roadtrip #1).  good time to be rejuvenated as i soon would enter a busy season of life.  and, a great time to be reminded to sit with the lord.  to rest in his strength.  to remember he is the same god of the old testament as the new.  meaning we see him part the red sea in the old testament, but somehow all we pray for is to change water into wine as he does in the new testament.  he is the same god.  and, i needed that reminder.  and, to see the faith of others as they believe, trust, and walk with him.  

i loaded up and hit the road early thursday morning.  but, not too early.  7 am this time.  the drive itself wasn't too bad, except i started feeling horrible around 10 am.  and, meds weren't doing it for me.  needless to say, when i got to my house, i slept and rested for the next three days.  maybe god was forcing me to sleep, rest, and recover physically.  ha.  here are some pics of the drive home:

the new river gorge bridge in west virginia (i drove over it) -
the longest steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere.  

beautiful rainbow
(too bad my camera didn't do it any justice)

 

traffic in greenville, south carolina (state #1).
could it have taken any longer to get home?

yep, that's a rap.  very worthwhile trip.  glad i made the trek.

redeeming sport.

although this video is for a specific ministry, it hits the mark on why i want to go into sports ministry.  enjoy from a charlotte partner of camp all-american..

samchok's caa 2012 debrief.

I decided instead of writing pages and pages in my journal, I would take a more creative and less wordy route. So, I grabbed a table at Starbucks and laid out my colored sharpies and pens, thick white watercolor paper, and an old journal. I categorized phrases, words, names, and events, into three lists: good times, Debbie Downers, & lessons learned.  When I was done, words, colors, names, events, descriptions, and quotes filled the page.  

It is easy for me to think this summer was a waste. Frustration, regret, disappointment, missed opportunities, lost time, neglected relationships – those words all characterize my last summer at CAA, at least in my mind. But, an Ozone counselor reminded me our last week of camp, “Samchok, you’re too hard on yourself. You really have done a great job this summer.” Thanks Katie. So, I knew I needed that time Wednesday to especially remember the great times, hilarious moments, and God stories before I forgot them. 

It was an "off" summer for me though.  Not what I hoped it would be.  Cuz remember I had been thinking about this summer, my last at CAA, since September.  Even planning, more specifically, since I learned of my Ozone director position in January.  Two main reasons I attribute to this "off" summer:

1. The loss of “fun Sara.” I got too caught up in the vision of Ozone being the best it could be, that I lost sight of the people around me. I didn’t take the time to relax, have fun, and enjoy the events, folks, and life happening when I stopped thinking about myself. Plus, the stress of thinking through NorthStar and raising support didn’t help. 
2. Broken foot. Crutches for two weeks of CAA, and a boot for the rest affected my mindset and attitude way more than I expected.  Probably way more than it ought have.  Seriously.  Normal tasks seemed insurmountable, and I often chose the easy/lazy way out.  Not being able to run or play any sports all summer also made for a huge Debbie Downer.  It was like I couldn't be myself at camp.  At least in some regards.  

My boot twin Kelly and I one day at camp.  

My other boot friend Strecker giving me a lift to the pool.  I started a trend of which
I am horribly sorry.  Over the course of the summer, five folks had a boot.  One
being a camper!  I have never before seen anyone in a boot at CAA ever before.
Jay Martin was right when he dubbed this summer "the year of the boot."

But, I write this to say how the summer ended on a good note.  God is good.  Real good.  Week 8, my boss Eric encouraged the return of “fun Sara.” To be relational and the quirky gal I am, and not worry about stuff that doesn’t need to be worried about. It was liberating.  I sooo enjoyed the last few weeks. And, as I think back, I am amazed that God still used me, despite my “off” summer.  Sad, yes, that I lost time and relationships with those closest to me, inside and outside of camp.  But, I'll take it.  He really did do amazing things at CAA.  Also, I'll be okay with my summer due to the lessons learned that I will take with me to NorthStar and beyond:

1. Indicative before imperative. Don’t forget about the people around me. Think of them first before what needs to be done. 
2. Know and seek him first. Don’t just do Christian work and tell others to know the Lord. Know him.  Cuz that is the most important above all. 
3. Walk by the Spirit. Pray unceasingly, well as best as we can do. Ask and listen as the Spirit says go, stop, do, and speak. 
4. Relax, have fun, and b-e-e-e-e-e yourself (thanks genie). Fun Sara needs to stay around. Enough said. 
5. God is good. No really. Despite a summer full of regrets on my end, Ozone rocked this summer. Literally.  The counselors were studs.  Couldn't have asked for a better group of 18 guys and girls to share the gospel with some middle-schoolers.  And, my CORE were fantastic.  Didn't truly appreciate them until the last week or two.  But, couldn't have rocked this summer without Daniel, Laney, and Preston.  Also, inside and outside of Ozone, God allowed me to meet and get to know some studs.  So, thankful for those relationships.  And, did I mention week ten was ballin'?

The Ozone team, without Preston.  "'Tater on three.  'Tater on three.  One, two, three...'TATER!."
Our, "Tater Tower," just like potatoes, you know?  Laney's idea.  Regardless, I loved working with these guys.
They  were great.  Couldn't have asked for better CORE leaders.  

The final #’s. Good times: 30. Debbie Downers: 12. Lessons learned: 6. Once again, I’ll take it.  Praise the Lord.

pennsylvania roadtripping #1.

last sunday morning, i rolled out of bed and hit the road.  the clock in my little kia rio read 4:12 am.  but, i was already on I-85.  no turning back.  lots of blacktop and miles ahead.  although i was thinking in my head:  seriously?  is this really worth it?  what am i doing?  am i even going to make it all the way to pennsylvania?   yep, pennsylvania folks.  t-minus 12 hour drive.  all for a few days at a little ole place we affectionately call "citi kidz."

let me rewind though first.  that friday before, we finished camp all-american 2012.  my last summer.  and, sadly, it wasn't quite what i wanted it to be for a number of reasons: worry over what was next, a broken foot, and a new role as director, to name a few.  but, a big one was my relationship with the lord.  it wasn't right.  i wasn't chasing after him.  i was doing the work of the lord, but not knowing the lord.  i started realizing that our last week, but it hit me the saturday after camp.

the day before, timotheus, the camp director up at citi kidz, sent me a link to their blog.  naturally, i was piddling around on saturday morning (as i often do) and decided to watch one video he posted.

Deuteronomy 1 Devotional Moment with T. Pope from Timotheus Pope on Vimeo.

wowzers.  man.  if only i had lived that way this summer.  timotheus' words to follow as caleb "wholly followed the lord" landed not as encouragement but more as conviction.  those words of "wholly" did not characterize sara samchok.  dog.  nor did really "follow the lord."  i was "serving" in "ministry" these ten weeks, but my heart was far from him.  for instance, i was reading the word, but so often out of duty more than love and devotion.  i think the more frustrating part was realizing the lost time.  how i was working in my own strength, worrying about stuff that was gonna get taken care of, and missing so many opportunities for conversations about jesus with campers and counselors along the way...happy saturday morning to me...frustrating also because i had moments here and there where i was walking with him.  more so towards the end of the summer, as i "got my legs back," as i like to say.  but, i had little tastes of what i wish this summer could have been about.  just wasn't happening all ten weeks as i had hoped.  needless to say, i will take it.  i am thankful for what i will continue to learn because of this summer.  and, even for what i learned up in PA.

so, yes, back to the roadtrip up to rector, pennsylvania.  that is what i am actually writing about.  but, i will write more on that in part dos.  this is it for tonight...

worth reposting.

ditto to everything kristen wrote:  http://hopeformorethananame.blogspot.com/2012/08/best-friend-wedding-2.html

caa 2012. done.