Wow, it's been a while!

Dear Area 3 counselors,

I apologize for the long gap in posts here! Once Faithgirlz was over, I finished up all the details from that, tried to get myself caught up around my home and finished up our GEMS year. Now that Christmas break is over and I'm finally looking forward instead of playing catch-up, I realize that I put this blog on a back burner and pretty much forgot about it!

Now I'm looking at the remainder of our GEMS year and am so excited to get back into it! We're still finishing up our December lessons on Serving Others and will also learn about Interact with God's People during the month of January. I've been using the PASSION WALL visuals and activities with the girls and they are loving it! The congregation is participating when they can as well! I know Satan was working to douse the fires, though. I showed up at church one Sunday (during a crazy busy fall) to find my entire PASSION WALL display removed! I was so frustrated. What on earth? Who would do that? Come to find out, there had been a wedding and they wanted them down for that. Okay, that was fine. Then I had to go looking for the stuff. It had been stashed in a classroom, one piece on top of the other so that all the tape from the back of one poster was sticking to the front of another! What a mess. Then I went to find tape and of course the church was out. It wasn't until this past Sunday that I finally was able to re-post the entire PASSION WALL! I found myself very discouraged and frustrated that all my work was treated so disrespectfully. But as I re-posted everything, and looked at the examples of all we had done, God changed my heart. I saw anew the excitement and PASSION of the girls and the congregation and felt the fire burning again within. All the names signed to the flame, all the initials by the books of the Bible being read, all the prayer requests and praises - all things that were done to God's glory. God wouldn't let Satan keep me discouraged! He provided an opportunity for me to re-post the visuals so that I would have to really look at each and every one and could give Him thanks and glory for all He has done in our club this year. I am now so anxious to meet my girls and counselors again next week and continue to fuel our PASSION together!

How about you? Have you been frustrated? Or are you refreshed from a bit of a break and ready to find your PASSION again? What's going on in your GEMS clubs this winter? I'd love to hear from you about how you are feeding the fires in your own hearts and in the hearts of your girls. Send me an email or leave a comment and give God the glory!

{{hugs}} and prayers,
Julie Ball
Area 3 AC