Taste past the tip of your tongue

"Wake up everyone

How can you sleep at a time like this

Unless the dreamer is the real you

Listen to your voice

The one that tells you to taste past the tip of your tongue

Leap and the net will appear"

-Jason Mraz, "Make It Mine"

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that I am a huge fan of Jason Mraz.  I think he is one of the most naturally talented musicians around, and he is a brilliant lyricist..  He writes a lot about love, and not just about romantic love but about philanthropy, too.  His music always puts me in a happy mood (even if I'm not listening to one of his oh-so-catchy summery tunes), and I've been listening to him a lot lately.  I find something new in each of his songs every time I listen, and the above excerpt from "Make It Mine" really jumped out at me recently.  

The world is so full of beauty, but for some reason we tend to look past it and to maintain a "grass is greener" philosophy about life.  Instead of stumbling through life, finding it merely mediocre, I'm trying to live with eyes wide open, observing all the beauty on this earth.  It's easy to get jaded (I know I have far too often) and to forget to appreciate the little things, but I'm working on breaking down the unappreciative shell I tend to build up around my brain.  I'm grateful for all the blessings, big and small, that God has given me.  I like to dream; I want to do big things; I want to (as I wrote about not long ago) seize the day.  I'm tasting past the tip of my tongue, and it's a great feeling.

I'm not sure where all this is coming from; I'm thinking it's stemming from having a new team of Americans here.  They're from Atlanta (NPCC, actually), and it's completely bizarre to have people from home around me again.  I miss my family and friends and everything, but I really, REALLY don't miss life in the metro-Atlanta area (actually, whenever we listen to the song "Disturbia" I change the lyrics to "suburbia").  The team is cool and everything, but it just feels like they're from a different world than me.  I'm coming home in two weeks, and it's the strangest feeling to know I'm going back to the comfortable life; I'm excited to start school in January, but I'm really not particularly keen on the idea of being in East Cobb for another year or so.  I'm just being honest.  I didn't really like it before I came here, and I doubt I'll like it when I get back.  

But I'm going to try to appreciate the beauty of the next year as I see it, and I'm going to try my hardest to make the most of the time I have once I get back home.  It won't be easy, but I'm going to trust that God has me there for a reason, even if it's not a reason that I like.

That being said, please pray for our final camps, as they start tomorrow.  Kati, Ev, Chris, and I are working with the NPCC team and the youth from the town of Rakvere, and we'll be heading back to Pala for this camp.  Ask God to keep us safe, humble, and united throughout this week.  I think this week is going to be as much a growing experience for the students from North Point as it is for the students from Rakvere, so ask God to move in everyone's hearts as the week progresses.  Brett and Innar are doing another camp at the same time as ours, so please keep them in your prayers, too.  

Please be praying for me as the end of my trip approaches; it's going to be very hard to leave my friends here, and I want to have a good attitude about returning home.  I also need rest, so please pray for that and for energy for me (and for the rest of the team) as I participate in my final camp.  I'm really excited for this week, and I can't wait to tell you more about it as camp progresses.  

Well, I guess that's really all I have to say.  I'm going to take a little nap and continue listening to Mr. A-Z.  Oh, wait, that reminds me.  He is going to be doing a concert in Atlanta in two days and I'm very, very sad that I won't be there.  If you can, buy a ticket and go to the show.  It's worth it.  I promise you.  Okay...bye.

Peace and Love,

Lo B.