SOO Excited for this Summer!

Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your life- something you KNEW God wanted you to do, but you just didn't know what it was?

That's exactly how I felt as I looked ahead to this summer- the very last one I'd have pretty much open before I had to concentrate on sending out college applications. But instead of wasting my time "enjoying" one of my final summers at home, I wanted to do something that would bring glory to the Name of God and leave a lasting impression on the world.

People often say that we only live once. Usually, they mean do whatever you want. Drown yourself in pop culture. Eat junk food. Party 'round the clock. And, for pete's sake, avoid the word tomorrow like it would inject you with a new renascent bout of the bubonic plague!

On the flip side, we only live once. God has given us this time and this chance- this one chance for us to prove our love and dedication to Him. What will you be spending your one life doing- wasting it on your pleasure or impacting the world for Christ?

Last night, I decided that this was it. I stand teetering on the brink between a child and an adult. The final hours are ticking by as I glance nostalgically behind me then summon enough courage to peek down at the deep, mystical waters below me. It will not be long now. In a matter of moments, I will lose my foothold on all I've ever known and plunge blindly into the waters in which God ordained me to swim.

But now, I believe, I am ready to take the preliminary dive.

Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember saying "I want to be a missionary when I grow up." I was around five at the time, so people would be surprised that I knew what the word missionary meant. Not having accepted Christ as my Savior yet, I am now not sure that even I knew what it all entailed! My point is here, however, that ever since I could define a missionary as "people who tell other people about Jesus", God had sown seeds into to my tiny little heart. And through the years, those seeds began to blossom (even later in life when my dream job became a farmer's wife, the idea of being a missionary never fully went away).

Now, I feel a strong inclination to share my faith with others, make Christ-like impressions on those who otherwise might not ever have heard of our Lord and Savior, and leave a stamp of tender sweetness, servitude, and hope upon the lost lambs of God. With my pen ever at my side, I know that this is what I want to do with my life.

So I decided not to spend this summer in vain. I have promised myself something I've never dared to do before. I'm going on a missions' trip. Where and through what company I'm leaving up to God, but I honestly couldn't imagine a more productive, God-glorifying, educational, and enjoyable activity on which to spend my time. After all, if I think that a life of feeding God's flock and serving his sheep is my calling, why wait for college? Why not give it a shot?

Another thing Mom and I are wanting to do is a local outreach program our church orchestrates called Outbound Ministries. America is in desperate need of change, so why not start by sharing the Gospel with the lowliest of the low, those who have the misfortune of ill health, etc.? It is these lives that- since only a miracle can turn many of them around- will be the most noticed by our citizens.

The problem with American Christians is that we're complacent. We know what's wrong...we talk about what should be done...what we'd love to do about it...and yet what do we do all day? Eat. Sleep. Get whatever we have to do over with as quickly as we can. Turn on the TV. Turn up the stereo- you name it, we do it. But what we don't realize is that in doing so we're really allowing Satan to walk all over us. We're doormats for the very feet so eager to run into the clutches of sin.

I just have one question for you...if God told you that tomorrow was your last day on earth, would you act any different? Of course you would! So would anyone. The catch is...what if tomorrow is your last day? There's no way of knowing that your car won't get in an accident next time your cruising down the highway. There's no way of knowing when Jesus will return. Life doesn't come with a moneyback guarrantee. Either you do something great with the time you have or you don't. Your choice.

I'm also planning to really get serious about my writing this summer, since I have a goal to have a book contract in my hand by this time next year. In case you don't know me that well, for the past four years, writing has been something I love doing. There's nothing like sitting down with a pen and paper or at a keyboard and just letting your thoughts run and then pulling those thoughts into a hopefully cohesive and well-written story. I also love the sound of words when their strung together in a pattern that's inventive, unique, and original. Plus, the published word reaches thousands and perhaps millions. What could be a better way of sharing my faith than to weave it into the pages of a book?

Of course, not all of my summer is going to be hard work- I'm going to take a little time for myself as well. For instance, in approximately 7 hours and 50 minutes, Mrs. Jolly is going to getting online to book six Jonas Brothers concert tickets for Philadelphia on July 23rd. Katie, Ellen, Lauren, and I are all HUGE fans of these three guys and Bekah's comin' along for the ride, so we are planning on having another trip to New Jersey packed with music, swimming, slumber parties in the RV, and all that sort of fun!