Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I am Rendy

Recently, I have been having these huge issues with people not getting my name correctly. For one people don't read, so they make themselves look silly. My name does not have an A in it, therefore it is not Randy, despite the fact that you think it seems to make more sense. My name is in fact Rendy, and while in the past I have debated using my middle name so that people would stop butchering my "yes it is on my birth certificate", and "yeah my mom really named me that" and "its really not that great of a story how I got my name" name. But I am Rendy. The name is part of my identity, it seems to embody part of my spirit somehow. Now, for some of you that seems weird, but when you have a name like mine, it takes a different feeling to it.

Last night, while in my Research Methods class I had a revelation of insight into my own life. Now, my professor, Dr. Limke, would probably be slightly surprised to hear that, as she is not a clinician as she reminds us frequently and last night she even shared her difficulty with empathy through a story. Nonetheless, a random in class assignment spurred me to have an aha (sp) moments of sorts.

My personal vent about my name for the last month has not been about my name, but about me, as a person. Okay so now you're confused, but let me explain it to you. I tend to think of myself in roles: the student, the Preventionist, the Youth minister's wife, daughter, sister, etc. Of course it often feels like the hardest of these is the youth minister's wife. And then it hit me last night, I love being the youth minister's wife (I love my husband dearly, and feel called to him and believe in his calling to ministry, in which I feel called to serve along side him). The part that I don't love is when other people forget to see me as Rendy first and the youth minister's wife second. I am a person, I too have my own job (in which I work 40 hrs/week as one of my 7th grade girls discovered last weekend, I do not get paid for the time I put in at the church, none of our volunteers do. Nonetheless, they often see me every time they see Mike (except @ school lunches) so it was quite surprising to her that I just spend time with them in my spare time). I have a personality (one that I would call quirky); I have opinions, large ones in fact even if you don't hear them it doesn't mean they are not there, simply that I realize I should not always share them; I have family; I have burdens, emotions and feelings. In short... I AM A PERSON. I am Rendy. And sometimes, just sometimes I get lost in other peoples idea of who I am.

I love all of the roles that I fill (although I will be excited for May 2011 when I can cross student off the list). But apart from the roles I just want to be me. I want people to see me for who I am: the good, the bad and the ugly. I want people to know that sometimes my humor can be off-color, that I love to laugh and when I find something really funny I laugh REALLY loud and sometimes start to squeak b/c I can't get enough air. I want people to see me, not the roles that I fill. See beyond the titles and ideas, see the person. I am Rendy.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Summit Camps

Summit Camps has made a lasting impression on my life. As an early teenager I truly experienced God and the love he has for me for the first time at Summit Camps in the summer of 2000. It was that summer, on August 1, 2000 that I have my life to Jesus Christ. While I am well aware that God can move in multiple places, He used Summit to not only introduce me to my Savior, but also as a place I was later discipled.

Starting the summer between my sophomore and junior year of High School I began to staff for Summit Camps. It was there that I learned much more about serving others and God's heart for his people. During the hottest southeastern OK sun, I realized that pointing others to the Son was more important to me. And that it was not always a glamorous thing: there's not much praise to be seen for the person who fills up the water jugs, but it's something that needs to be done in order to serve my brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was also at Summit Camps where I met some of my most influential mentors, who have become friends of mine now that I have entered into adulthood. These people have guided me, loved me, given me advice when I would not or could not speak to my own family. I was comforted and encouraged in the hard times. They have celebrated my marriage to a wonderful man of God with me, they have taught me lessons that only those who have walked with God for years often know. They have prayed over me, encouraged me as I try to minister to hurting world of students, and have been so unsure of how to do. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Summit Camps is celebrating its 20 year this summer! I am so thankful for my opportunity to be involved in such a wonderful place for the 8 years. Now, as a Summit Camps Director I have been allowed to grow, stumble and watch the Lord move in amazing ways from an adult perspective at Summit.

If you have made it this far in my blog I want to ask you to do a few things.
1. Pray for Summit Camps: pray for our mission to bring students to a relationship with Christ and to see His will for their life revealed to them.
2.Pray for our new camp grounds that we are attempting to build. The Lord has given us a wonderful vision of the great things he would like Summit to continue to do through Him.
3.If Summit Camp has touched you in some way whether as an adult or a student attending any of our multiple events (summer camp, Fall retreat, marriage conferences, the Called Conference, etc) please let us at Summit Camps know, we would love to share your story with others. (http://www.summitcamps.com/templates/blankwh/details.asp?id=20970&PG=Contact&RecordType=&pkg=)
4. Pray about giving to our mission to bring students, families and individuals to know Christ.

For more information on Summit Camps go to www.summitcamps.com
To read our purpose go to http://www.summitcamps.com/templates/blankwh/details.asp?id=20970&PID=35640
To read our vision statement go to http://www.summitcamps.com/templates/blankwh/details.asp?id=20970&PID=45372