Thursday, June 27, 2013

Look Up: Girls' Camp


We just returned from a 2 1/2 day stake girls' camp, an event that took me and a legion of women a year to plan. It was a successful camp: spiritual, fun, and uniting.  We sang "Mormon Boys," danced, and ate delicious food, minus the beans.  But, amongst all the success, I was preoccupied with how we could have done a better job: Don't scratch the crafts next year; Next time, have the girls perform a skit with their bishops on Bishops' Night; Have a YCL fashion show; Go to the temple more before you come to camp so that you're more spiritually prepared for these girls.  I found it impossible to live in the few days that took a year to plan.

We chose the theme "Look Up!" based on Carl B. Cook's conference talk: "It Is Better to Look Up."  Our committee spent a year deciding what it means to look up: don't compare, never fear, create holy places wherever you are, look to God, doubt not, and live.  But during camp I struggled to "Look Up."  I questioned whether our efforts were what the Lord wanted, even after receiving confirmation that we were doing exactly what He wanted. After plaguing my brain with doubt, I finally said to myself, "Katy, put all you've done on the alter as an offering to the Lord.  You've done your very best." I stood in the middle of the lodge pictured above, and I visualized myself in a barren desert--is that redundant--placing the suitcase of "My Very Best" on the alter.  For maybe the first time in my life, I felt the Lord take my offering.  He makes up where we go wrong, and I physically and mentally felt him lift my gaze upward.

P.S.  Mi Madre came and helped me make all the value banners pictured above.  She's the very best.  Also, my homgurl let me take a picture with her.  The church is true.


8 comments:

  1. I needed to read this tonight. It's been a rough day.
    There has always been this random line in my P. blessing, "Always look up". I need to do just that.
    Thanks for posting!

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  2. Valerie, I hope you read Elder Cook's uplifting talk. Maybe you should move next door to me and Shawni. Then we could make sure we're always looking up:) I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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  3. What a perfect theme for a YW camp. I’m sure the camp was exactly what the girls needed. P.S. You are looking smokin’ hot in that picture next to your homgurl!

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  4. This is a lovely little essay on the atonement. We forget sometimes that we really can't be perfect without Him.

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  5. This was a great post--it made me cry:)

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  6. I love this theme and would like to use it for our Girls Camp next summer. Any details you are willing/able to share are much appreciated shauna at gmail dot com
    Thank you for sharing.

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  7. Shauna, I have lots of deatils, but I'm unsure what you're looking for: music we used, talks we gave, activities we did? Email me katysuz@gmail.com and give me a list.

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  8. This is what we want to do for girls camp this year. I am having a hard time deciding how to pull it off since my assistant wants to use the movie Up also. Any ideas? Smileamile2006@Gmail dot Com

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