Heidi’s Blog

Over the past few months I have recieved numerous notes from campers during the week. Last week I think we topped out at 101 at one time (Andrew Loyd won that battle).

So, this is my letter to all of you. Yes; you!

Back in November, I was sitting here at this same desk, starring at this same computer dreaming up ideas for the summer and anxiously counting down the days till kids were here. It is August, and I am sitting at that same desk, cleaning out drawers, packing up things and missing my campers from this summer.   My goodness….how this summer flew by.

What a summer we had! We had close to 400 campers this summer that came and spent a week with us.  We hiked up some mountains, sang some songs about hippos and bananas, went rafting down a river, threw some goo, expereinced God in this place and made life long friends.

Here are a few things that I want you to remember as you go back to your everyday lives:

1. Shine! When you let God’s love radiate every inch of you it rubs off on everyone around you. Your faith can be contagious!  Live a life so that every action and word screams of God’s love for you and God’s love for everyone.

2. Life is not easy. Much like our little walk through the woods. It is not a smooth, level, easy road. There are always rough patches, trees in your way and unknown obstacles that you can’t see until they hit you in the face. Many of you may be facing a dark patch right now, many of you may have been hit by a tree or an event that knocked you on your tail. Keep a hold of that rope. Hang on to God and lean on his constant love.

3. Don’t get caught up in what this world wants you to be. You are excatly who you are meant to be and created to be.  Don’t let the troubles of this world cloud your view of Christ. Don’t let relationships, drugs, school, pressure, alcohol, drama and a other list of things drag you down. Worship Christ with they way you live your life. Shine! Keep chasing after the Lord, becaue he will never leave you.

4. Don’t grow up too quick! Find time to be a kid and enjoy the simple things of this life.

5. Anytime you hear All Star or Cobra style…you should probably get up an do some energizers…serioulsy!

6. Remember that Sonlight isn’t just a place. It is a way of life. Bring Sonlight to your friends, your family, your schools and other places.

7.  I hope you learned something while you were here at camp. But I want you to also remember that I have learned from you. You are all amazing teachers and I was challenged daily by all of you.  You have taught me more than any of you could imagine.  

8. Remeber that I love you! Everywhere I go, I carry you all with me. Your hearts, spirits, smiles and laughter are forever with me. I will not and can not forget any of you.  Thank you all for being a blessing in my life. 

 Craig Gallegos, a well known Durango resident that tragically passed away last month , said that it isn’t about the money you make, the clothes you wear or any sort of material item you own. It is all about the lives that you touch and the people that you invest in.  It is about the mark that you leave on someone’s heart.

It is my prayer that your life was touched by this place and by all the people in it. I pray that you go out and change peoples lives.  I pray that you are generous with your life and that you pour yourself into others. I pray that you take inspiration from Craig and leave your mark on people’s hearts. That you live your life to the fullest and never take anything for granted. 

Summer 2008 is almost offically over, but we will NEVER forget it.

Remember who you are, and whose you are!

Heidi

It has been far too long since I have updated this blog. So much has happened up here at Sonlight! We are at our half way through our summer. I can’t believe that it is July already! The first few months of life up here have just raced by me.

 All our groups of kids have been amazing! They keep us laughing, crying because we are laughing so hard and some even bring tears to our eyes.  All the parents always thank us for what we do for their children, but we should be thanking them. Those kids teach me more than I could have ever imagined.

Moving on, to explain the title of this blog.  After talking to kids, staff and friends, I realize that we all experience some storms in our lives. Some of us have small storms where the clouds roll in, sprinkle a bit and then move on. Others experience fierce thunderstorms that just tear us apart. And last, some of us experience an entire stormy season. The clouds just keep rolling in and the rain never stops.

I am sure that all of you who are actually reading this right now can think of a storm in your life right now or a recent storm. I am including myself in that previous statement. Last weekend we had the chance to get away for a few days due to our camp schedule. I needed some Heidi time so I decided to take a mini road trip. For those of you who don’t know…driving is like therapy to me. I drove to Grand Junction via Highway 550. It is a beautiful drive through the mountains. I forgot how much I loved it. But even more so, it forced me to slow down a bit.  Loosen my grip on the wheel and enjoy the drive.

 I had been thinking a lot about life, frustrations and my personal storms as I drove. Questions were running through my head at 100 mph and the more questions I asked, the more I realized that I didn’t have the answers. As if on cue, on the road between Durango and Pagosa, the storm clouds started to roll in. They were dark and threatening and dumped some rain while I was driving. My first thought….how appropriate!

As I drove further the  questions still running through my mind and frustration levels hitting an all time high, my grip on the wheel grew tighter.  I rounded the curve in the road and looked straight ahead of me. The clouds were the most beautiful pink I have ever seen and starting to peek through there was a small section of a rainbow.  My first thought….how appropriate. I slowed down a bit and found a place to turn around and go and take a picture. I wanted to try and freeze that moment in time and hang on to it.  But it was too late. The glowing pink had faded and the rainbow had disappeared.  That was the moment I had been waiting for. God smiled down on me and gave me a breath of fresh air. If it hadn’t had been for those storm clouds, that sunset would have never been so beautiful.

If we don’t have storm clouds, we never get to see amazing sunsets.

If we don’t have rain storms, we never get to see the rainbows.

If we don’t have trials and frustrations in our lives, we never have the chance to grow.

If we never have dark, stormy patches, we never learn to give up our entire lives to Christ.

If we never mess up, we never experience God’s grace.

If we never experience darkness, we can never fully appreciate those people that shine God’s love through every part of their life.

I challenge you to look for those sunsets and rainbows after your storms. Trust me, I am telling myself this too. Appreciate the trials and frustration, because they produce beautiful things.

For some strange reason, the past couple of weeks I always wake up at 5:27 am! No, I don’t set my alarm….my body, mind and everything else just decide that it is time for me to wake up.

This has become the routine. Sometimes I shut my eyes again and hope that I fall back asleep for 20 or so more minutes. But I quickly find out that I have only slept for a minute longer and I might as well get up.  I must admit, that 5:27 am is a beautiful time of day. The sun is hardly up over the horizon and it makes everything glow. If it was chilly enough to frost the night before, the 5:27 am sun makes the grass sparkle.

This morning, shortly after 5:27 am I was up at camp, brewing a pot of coffee. I stepped out onto the deck and just sat there. It was quiet. No one was up. No one was in the meadow. No cooks in the kitchen whipping up a fantastic breakfast.  The only movement were the “early” birds eating seeds and a few deer walking across the meadow.  I enjoyed the moment.

My enjoyment of that single, silent, still moment was short lived.  Truth be told, I love it when there are kids in the meadow (hopefully not at 5:27 am). I love the laughter, screaming, running and playing. I love it when we play Indiana Jones and all you can hear on top of the screaming is the sound of kids hitting each-other with noodles.  I love when the “Numa Numa” song is blaring from the speakers and all the campers, counselors and staff are out in the meadow dancing their hearts out.

Staff is starting to trickle in and plans are starting to be finalized. Name tags are made and menus are ready for the summer. One thing is missing: THE KIDS!

Summer 2008 has started. I can’t wait to see what it brings. I can’t wait for the surprises that God has in store for us!

 I can still remember the days when I was in elementary school and all I had to worry about was which Barbie I was going to get my friend for her birthday. Or the scrape on my knee from riding my bike (yeah, it happened a lot).  Now I am on the brink of searching for a job, paying my student loans and pondering my next big step in my life.

Life was uncomplicated back then. You had best friends, but you didn’t know why they were your best friends, they just were.  You thought you were cool all the time, even if you were wearing two different socks or neon hair ties. (yep, did that too).  You could play in the ball pit at McDonalds. You would get a Happy Meal with a little cheap toy. Life was uncomplicated then.

I envy all of you.  You guys are in the prime of your life. ENJOY YOUR CHILDHOOD!   Growing up is over rated. I hear so many kids saying that they can’t wait to be 16, 18, 21…  and on the other hand, I hear so many adults wishing they were a kid again.

But I will let you in on a little secret. Being a grown up is a state of mind. If you worry about grown up things, then you will get caught up in the stressful life of being a grown up.  God even calls us to have a “child like faith”. 

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” — Mark 10:14-15

What does it mean to “receive the kingdom of God as a little child”? I think it means to experience faith in its purest form; through the eyes of a child. Loving God and letting him love us back, without all the complications of society.  I think it means to celebrate the love of Christ without having to worry about what your friends will think. I think it means to appreciate the little things. Appreciate the green grass, the flowers that are just starting to bloom, the spring rains and the sunsets that just take your breath away; all the time knowing that it is from our Creator.

Here is my challenge to you…enjoy being a kid today.  Take silly pictures with your friends, drink a Coke through a swirly straw, run around barefoot in the grass, jump in some puddles.  But most of all, see God through your “child eyes”. Let him love you and love him back. 

As many of you know, I was at a camp conference in Las Vegas, NV this past week. I had never been to Vegas, so I had no clue what to expect.

Winston and I drove out to Las Vegas from Durango. The trip was quite interesting. We had some minor car troubles, but we made it to Vegas in one piece and very hyped up on caffeine. Between the two of us we had almost finished a 12 pack of Coke and I had a few Startbucks double shots on top of that! But we got there safely.

The conference was great and we heard lots of great speakers. At night, we went exploring the Las Vegas Strip. I have never seen so many people and so many lights! It was crazy. It is an incredible city and I don’t think it ever sleeps. At the end of the week I dropped Mary and Winston off at the airport for their vacation and then I stayed for an extra night.

The next day, I decided that I needed to go climb a mountain or something. All of my senses were overwhelmed by Las Vegas, so I needed to get some quite time to reflect and digest the entire conference experience.

I found my way to Zion National Park. What an amazing place. It is home to the tallest sandstone cliffs in the world and is one of the oldest National parks. I spent a few hours scrambling up a cliff side to find what they call “Hidden Canyon”.  I sat there for a bit, on the side of the mountain, overlooking the national park. All I did was sit. It was the exact opposite of Las Vegas and it was exactly what I needed.

Zion National Park got its name from the Mormon explorers a long time ago. Zion means a sanctuary or refuge. How appropriate. Zion, for that day was my refuge. It was my sanctuary.

Sometimes you need to get away to hear God. Whether your refuge is your room, a car, a cliff side or a coffee shop, I encourage all of you to find a refuge and just sit. Turn off the music, turn off the cell phone and turn off your computer. Just sit there and see what God is trying to say to you.

I wish you all could see camp right now. The snow is melting really fast and we are starting to see signs of spring. The birds are out and singing their songs. The sqwabbits (the gray squirrels that look like rabbits) are trying to figure out how to get to the bird feeders now that the snow is melting. They used to just stand on the snow and put their little faces in the bird feeders.

We said goodbye to the last ski group this morning. This marked the end of the winter season. Camp is being “put to bed” for the month of April while Mary, Winston and I head to a conference and then Mary and Winston take a much deserved vacation.

I can’t believe how close summer is. I have no idea where the past few months of my life have gone. Before you know it, BAM….it will be the first week of camp.  I stood on the deck this morning, remembering when the meadow was under four feet of snow. Now the dirt is starting to show and in a few short months, the meadow will be filled with kids playing capture the chicken and Indiana Jones.

Seasons change so quickly. One day it is snowing and the next the green grass is showing.  More than ever I find my mind preoccupied with summer and everything that that entails. I forget to take a deep breath, smell the spring air and enjoy the moment.

So I encourage you to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment where ever you are. You only get that moment once. Be thankful for all the blessing in your life and all the people that surround you.

I am off on more adventures this month and I will be sure to keep you all updated. So keep checking the blog!

The past couple weeks have been pretty crazy. I have been to Iowa and back, then down to New Mexico for about a week for camp conferences and then back to Durango. I substituted a few days in there (which may have been my biggest adventure of all). I am now writing to you all from Phoenix, Arizona. My best friend from Iowa is here on spring break with her family. We are going to drive back up to Durango for the weekend, which will be her first time in Colorado!

So here I am in Phoenix! It is strange to see grass and dirt. I am so used to seeing piles and piles of snow. I wore shorts today and even flip flops. For any of you that know me well….I LOVE FLIP FLOPS! I have been known to wear them in the winter even. My feet have missed the flip flops.

Over the past couple of weeks I have probably racked up about 58 hours worth of driving and over 3,000 miles. Which translates to plenty of time to think and sing out loud to music as I drive.

Here are a few of my reflections and ramblings from my adventures.

- I forgot how big this country and how beautiful it is. Yes, Nebraska is a bit flat, but there is some beauty in that. The drive between Durango and the ABQ is gorgeous. My drive down to Arizona was beautiful too. Especially at sunset.

- I think I have a Starbucks radar. I swear! I never miss the big circle sign with their logo on it. MMMMM coffee!

- I went to two camp conferences last week. I was inspired, empowered and overwhelmed all at the same time. Driving back from the conference I had a lot of time to reflect and process the events of the conferences. I came to two very simple conclusions. I am so thankful for Sonlight as a place, as a community and as a ministry. My second conclusion; I am not at Sonlight by mistake.

- Winston shouldn’t be allowed to pick out T-shirts. He tried to convince the T-shirt vendor lady that we wanted metallic T-shirts. Mary and I voted….Winston was overruled.

- I don’t like stupid drivers.

- Everyone needs to go on an adventure. Seriously; start planning one right now. Adventures are good for the soul, heart and mind. It also makes a great story.

- Invest in your friends. If it means driving cross country to do so….then start driving. Life can be turbulent at times. It can change really fast and make your head spin. Surround yourself with people you love and that love you. People that make you laugh, but still laugh at you. People that can finish your sentences and know exactly what you want to drink at a restaurant. They are priceless!

- Don’t take the typical smiley pictures. Be goofy! Ten years from now when you pull that picture out of the box, you will laugh and remember exactly what you were doing and who you were with when you took that photo.

- People look at me funny when I pull over to take a picture from the side of the road.

Somewhere over the past 3000 miles, 6 mixed CD’s, plenty cups of coffee and about 100 pictures (okay, so I took a lot of pictures) I found time to just reflect on the blessing that Sonlight has been and continues to be in my life. I have so many ideas for summer right now that I can’t write them down quick enough. I am SO EXCITED!

I love you all and can’t wait to see you this summer!

I am back from my trip. I tried to blog last night from my hotel in Nebraska, but for some reason I couldn’t figure out why the Internet wouldn’t work. I think the driving had temporarily made me dumb. But it was all good….I woke up this morning and found a Starbucks right next to the hotel. JACKPOT!

Let me sum up my trip for you in a few short sentences. Lots of driving, we are talking like 30+ hours, but is was worth it. Lots of shocked people, late nights, catching up with friends and silly photos. Great times with great friends. Now that is worth the hours of driving and multiple tanks of gas.

Last night I was driving across the state of Nebraska around dusk. So I was literally driving off into the sunset. In that moment, I turned off the music and just drove. I was grateful for the time with friends. I have been blessed with friendships that don’t skip a beat regardless of the distance. I was sad to leave all of them again, but as I drove away I looked forward to the next chapter of my adventure.

My trip may be over, but my adventure is far from over. I am back on the road again on Thursday. I have two conferences this weekend in New Mexico. So all of you down there….keep your eyes open, I’ll be there.

I guess over the past couple months since I have been in Colorado, I forgot how cold Iowa is. So my adventure is in full swing.

Roads were dry, for the most part and traffic was pretty light. I find ways to keep myself entertained as I drive. I turn the music up and sing my little heart out. And if the music so moves me, I may even do a little car dance. Trust me, it turns a few heads. They all just wish they were listening to my music.

I showed up in Iowa and immediately found my best friend. It is such a great feeling when you reunite with people you haven’t seen for a while. Over the course of the day we managed to catch a lot of people off guard. It took them a second for it to sink in. Then they try and figure out why in the world I am in Iowa. It was totally worth the 17 hour drive.

Happy Valentines Day everyone. Eat some chocolate, give some of those conversation hearts and show some love.

I don’t know about you guys…but I get to a point where I need to get out. I need to have an adventure.

So, after little planning I have decided to have myself an adventure. I start on the road tomorrow morning for a 18 hour drive armed with some good tunes, plenty of coffee, my digital camera and a map. I am on my way to go and surprise some of my friends back in Iowa. Iowa in February is very cold. But it is all good.

So this is my introduction to my adventure. I will be writing frequently over the duration of my trip.

Stay warm and go and find yourself an adventure!