Lamplighter Moments: Part One

I know, my friends.  I promised to tell you about the Lamplighter Guild weeks ago.  

Life does this thing, you know, where it’s running ahead and leaving me five steps behind, trying desperately to catch up….but that never happens to you, I’m sure!

Honestly I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from the Guild yet, even a month later….the first week or so I spent processing and jealously taking every moment I could to be alone with God, basking in the wonder of what He has done in me.  

Then there were the doors He started opening up to new opportunities, filling me with excitement and keeping my mind busy!  Throw in a bonus meet-up with new friends from the Guild and almost dying in the process (refer to my previous post), my brother’s wedding, a nasty head cold, a surprise overseas trip in the fall to plan for, and my grandparents due to move into a new living arrangement in a couple weeks….not to mention my allergies going berserk….and I can’t seem to even keep up with the basic business in everyday life, much less sit down and write something coherent! 

But I am making myself do this.  As much for my own sake as anything.  And you know what?  I hope I never, ever recover from the Guild.  

Because it was the most amazing experience of my life.

 

There are a lot of things I definitely want to improve on, like my time management skills and self-discipline, in order to have more margin in life for the most important things.  Everything is feeling helter-skelter these days.  But I never wish to recover from the incredible work God did in my heart during that week.  I never want to get over this new love for Jesus and His Word.  I never want to stop pursuing the dreams He plants in my heart to use the particular gifts He’s given me as His co-creator and glory-proclaimer in this world!  I want to be ever-increasing in desire to be as close to Jesus as I possibly can! 

Ah, how do I even begin to sum up the Lamplighter Guild?

Beautiful, humble servants of God giving of their time, resources, energy, and gifts to pour into the next generation….to make ready a people prepared for HIS GLORY!

Breathtaking scenery and a magical location filled with new delights everywhere we turned!

A fellowship of new friends with hearts after God and connections that may serve us spiritually and professionally for the rest of our lives!

Passion for the Word and the glory of God like I have never before seen….a passion that is contagious!

Marvelous speakers, insightful times of reflection in the Scriptures both individually and in a group, being mentored in the creative arts by people who are masters of their craft and use it to proclaim Christ to the world!

The food….wow….the best I’ve ever tasted!

Being lavishly served in such a way that I felt like a rich person for a week!

Late nights, early mornings, endless brainstorming, crunching deadlines, tight schedules, spiritual adrenaline keeping me going.

Working together in a team of very different and unique people to produce something that seemed nearly impossible when we started out!

Early morning hikes, sunrise from a mountaintop, stargazing in the gardens, walking in the woods with God, rock scrambling and water fun!

Worship full of awe!

Recording some of my most precious wow moments with God on my phone because my thoughts were tumbling too fast to write down the revelations breaking over me!

Being taught, mentored, and given hands-on experience in writing, but also having the chance to test the waters with drama and discover that my dramatic spark is stronger than I realized!

Stepping into release, freedom, surrender, and joy in abundance!

Being fully convinced that God is my portion, my delight, and my satisfaction in life….that it really is all about HIS GLORY….and that all I want to do for the rest of my life is to know and proclaim HIS GLORY!

Wow.  After all that I need to take a breather.

I think this is enough to give you a snapshot of my Guild experience.  But there is so much more I want to share!  And I haven't even told you about my latest upcoming adventure! 

So stay tuned...I can't promise it will come soon, but there is more to come!

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!"  Psalm 126:3