Last weekend, Case and I traveled with about 25 of our college students (I know I'm getting the number wrong, but it's close) to Panama City, Florida for the annual Gulfcoast Getaway conference...on the website I like that it says: "More than a conference...it's a body of people undergoing radical transformation as we seek the ways of God." The theme this year was Freedom, and the scripture used was Galations 5:1 ~ "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." It was a really amazing experience. My first time there was in 2006, when I was pregnant with Miles, so at that time I was a little less energized and spent more time in the hotel room just relaxing. This time, however, I was able to do so much more (Miles stayed at home and his Grandma and Pops came to visit him) with the students, and even participated in the X-Games on the beach!
I wanted to share some pictures from GCG. These first few show a guy named John Ross painting, but what you need to know is that this was just one of four canvases he was working on during a time of worship. He completed them all in about half an hour, and of course everyone on each side wanted to see what he had painted on the other three sides. When one of the speakers got up, he made the point that this was a good representation of our lives and God's work in them. We are always wanting to see what God is doing, or what he will do, but we can't. It all makes sense when we can finally see it, but we just need to trust that he is doing the work and that we will see how it all comes together one day. Really neat illustration.
While the X-Games were going on, Case got in a lot of nice frisbee time.
Here we are preparing for tug-of-war. You can't tell, but I really, really did not want to be doing this (they needed five girls to enter, and I was the fifth). For one thing (and you can't tell this either), it was freezing out there! Yes, out in the sun, on the beach...very cold. I don't like the cold. Secondly, right before the tug-of-war stuff began, they made an announcement that everyone participating had to remove their shoes. What?!? I kept my socks on, but that did no good. I couldn't feel my feet and toes for a very long while afterward. Cocoa helped.
I was a little afraid when I saw my hair in this photo (Casey took it, by the way). And also...we did not win the tug-of-war. I think it's partly because every girl on our team, like myself, did not want to be there at that moment in time.
Even though it was freezing...the scenery really was nice. We saw a beautiful sunset. I greatly limited my sunset photos this time, because in 2006 I took over 300 photos...of the sunset. Three hundred. I don't even know how I did that.
Case and I. He is wearing the hat I knitted for him a few months ago. What a guy!
One of our guys decided, on the day after we arrived, that he would do the Polar Bear Club thing, and we all watched him race toward the ocean and dive into the freezing water (okay, it wasn't freezing...but would you do it?). So here on our last evening, Casey thought it would be funny to get a shot of him looking like he was doing that too, with a few friends cheering him on. It's still one of my favorite shots, mostly just because of the way he's picking those knees up.
I really missed my baby boy while we were away. We were all very happy to be reunited the evening we got home. Junebug doesn't look happy, but believe me...she's happy.
I wanted to share some pictures from GCG. These first few show a guy named John Ross painting, but what you need to know is that this was just one of four canvases he was working on during a time of worship. He completed them all in about half an hour, and of course everyone on each side wanted to see what he had painted on the other three sides. When one of the speakers got up, he made the point that this was a good representation of our lives and God's work in them. We are always wanting to see what God is doing, or what he will do, but we can't. It all makes sense when we can finally see it, but we just need to trust that he is doing the work and that we will see how it all comes together one day. Really neat illustration.
While the X-Games were going on, Case got in a lot of nice frisbee time.
Here we are preparing for tug-of-war. You can't tell, but I really, really did not want to be doing this (they needed five girls to enter, and I was the fifth). For one thing (and you can't tell this either), it was freezing out there! Yes, out in the sun, on the beach...very cold. I don't like the cold. Secondly, right before the tug-of-war stuff began, they made an announcement that everyone participating had to remove their shoes. What?!? I kept my socks on, but that did no good. I couldn't feel my feet and toes for a very long while afterward. Cocoa helped.
I was a little afraid when I saw my hair in this photo (Casey took it, by the way). And also...we did not win the tug-of-war. I think it's partly because every girl on our team, like myself, did not want to be there at that moment in time.
Even though it was freezing...the scenery really was nice. We saw a beautiful sunset. I greatly limited my sunset photos this time, because in 2006 I took over 300 photos...of the sunset. Three hundred. I don't even know how I did that.
Case and I. He is wearing the hat I knitted for him a few months ago. What a guy!
One of our guys decided, on the day after we arrived, that he would do the Polar Bear Club thing, and we all watched him race toward the ocean and dive into the freezing water (okay, it wasn't freezing...but would you do it?). So here on our last evening, Casey thought it would be funny to get a shot of him looking like he was doing that too, with a few friends cheering him on. It's still one of my favorite shots, mostly just because of the way he's picking those knees up.
I really missed my baby boy while we were away. We were all very happy to be reunited the evening we got home. Junebug doesn't look happy, but believe me...she's happy.
4 comments:
I love all the pictures! I don't think your hair looked scary...looks cool! I'm glad you had such a good time. LOVE the big smiles in the last one.
that was from me, Joy, by the way. lol
Looks like you guys had such a great time. Maybe next year it will be nice and sunny!!
Thanks Joy (especially about the hair)! I also love the pic of 'my boys' at the end. What a set of cuties! =)
Hey Shell ~ yes, I hope so!! Wow, it was cold. The best thing about it, though, was that Case ran over to the Starbucks (yes, right on the beach) and brought back a huge vanilla latte for me...aaaaaahhh!
Post a Comment