"I love it when a plan comes together"

Ok i admit it I am a child of the 80's and I watched "the Ateam", regularly.  Whew ok, now that I got that out of the way....

At the end of of the show when The Ateam was successful Hannibal Smith always said, "I love it when a plan comes together".  Don't we all?

I am a planner, I like to be as far ahead of the game as possible.  I like to have my summer retreats planned before winter and my winter retreat planned before summer.  I don't like any curve balls, surprises, or loop holes.

And this is why i have been majorly stressed for the last two weeks.

One word:  Caswell.  Our students have been going to Caswell for at least 10 years I would say.  Caswell works this way:  you fill out an application and mail it (cant be postmarked before Jan 1), then you wait.  That part tears me up.  For a month and a half, I wait.  This year they sent me a letter instead of a bill, and informed me that they where unable to provide us the weeks i had put in for.  So that sends me into a frenzy of trying to figure out now how I am going to provide a solid meaningful summer retreat for my students.  Then I am reminded:

"The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purpose of his heart through all generations"  (ps. 33:11)

Caswell just wasn't in God's plans for Grassy Branch Youth This summer.

A couple of years ago I was invited to be a "guest speaker" for the week for a friend of mine's church for their summer retreat.  I came back thinking, "hey, we could do this at GBBC".  Apparently that time is now.

Sometimes even when we think we have the best plans laid out, God reminds us that His plans are better.

So I put it together:  Caswell is great, but apparently God said this year doing our own would be better.

and so then, the excitement builds for this summer because God has something bigger, better, and powerful for us.

Have a great day, Chris