Reflections on Summit 2011 — A Word of Thanks

To the Staff of Summit 2011 (First Half):

Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you did. The friendships formed, the challenges overcome (session 4… enough said), the late nights and early mornings – it all will be forever remembered as the best summer of my life.

To the Penthouse Girls:

Ashley, my dear roommate: you are a joy and a blessing. I am so thankful we were roommates. You always had a way of challenging my faith even when it involved discussing relationships and the future. Thanks for always pointing me back to the Lord.

Mary Lowry, my kitchen buddy: never ever will I forget almost putting 40 cups of oil into bread. Thank you for all the conversations from the mundane and trivial to the serious and emotional ones. Confession: I want your accent. :)

Laura, my soon to be neighbor of sorts: you are such an encouragement to me. Your ability to listen and your desire to help always came when I needed it most. I look forward to seeing you soon friend!

Sash, one of my favorite Domestic Divas: your energy is always contagious. Thank you for listening and being a friend during those times I didn’t think I could make it. I’ll never forget the laughter found behind the door of the Penthouse. It was always nice going up there at night knowing I probably would get a laugh because you were more likely than not up there… doing something. :)

Rachel, whom I expect to see this fall Lord-willing: goodness, there are no words to my gratitude for having you in my life. Never will I forget going thrifting with you on our day off. That was fantastic. :) They say laughter is the best medicine… if that’s the case, I should be healthy for a long time considering how much you and Sash made me laugh.

To My Kitchen Crew:

Gabe: I never quite realized how ridiculous things that come out of my mouth sound at 6 in the morning are until I had them mimicked back to me or quoted on the drink machine. Super nast and sog…. forever in my vocabulary thanks to you. :) Ha. In all seriousness, thanks for being an amazing friend. You were always there to encourage and make me laugh. I miss the “Make Fun of Kayla” Days….

Jeremy: Oh goodness, flying potatoes and flying knives. Who could forget the day Eric Smith came down with you and Gabe to help pound chicken? :) Those were the days that even the most boring job looked epically (yes, I just made up that word…) awesome. Thanks for making my life in the kitchen always entertaining, but also for being a friend, asking how I was and wanting to know if there was anything you could do to help. Your support did not go unnoticed.

AnaLisa: So much to say and not enough room to say it. If I were to write everything on my mind at this moment, I think I’d max out my blog characters… which I think I might do anyway considering how many staffers there really are. The long and short of it is that I am so thankful the Lord placed you in the kitchen. He knew exactly what he was doing when our lives collided and you became an important part of my world at Summit. You are a blessing and I am so thankful for you, for the bad times and the good times. :)

Amber: you always had something funny to say to make us all laugh. Thank you for being such a positive spirit and an important part on the afternoon kitchen crew. You can see the light of the Lord shining in you and it is so very bright.

Hannah K, my fearless morning kitchen supervisor: thank you for being such an integral part of Summit and helping morning kitchen run so smoothly. You were such a strong leader, but also an amazing friend when things got crazy. Your support and prayers were always appreciated.

Amanda, my fearless afternoon kitchen supervisor: thanks for all your years you’ve put in at Summit. You were always organized and were always on the ball, even when something didn’t quite go right. I am so thankful for your dedication and support in the kitchen.

Molly, the now fearless afternoon kitchen supervisor for second half: you make life entertaining. end of story. You always had something humorous to say or a story to tell. Thanks for being a positive spirit on afternoon kitchen and for being willing to stay another session. You are a blessing to Summit and to me!

Hannah W: I am so thankful I got to spend some time with you this summer on our days off…. even if it did involve driving around Colorado Springs looking for Noodles and Co. Haha. Your caring spirit and willingness to help in any way was a blessing to me. I know the Lord is going to do great things in and through you!

Jacob: where to begin my friend. You always had a way of keeping life 100% entertaining and you had a knack for making the most mundane task fun. However, I always appreciated your ability to be serious and have a deep spiritual or theological conversation. Thanks for being a part of Summit kitchen!

Rebecca: your sweet spirit is what I remember most as I think back to this past summer. You always had a kind word to say and you were always willing to help with whatever needed to be done. Thank you for being a friend and a sister in Christ.

To The Downright Awesome Dishpit: 

Will: first of all, thanks for the approval. :) Secondly, thanks for being a part of Summit for one more summer. Returning staff had a way of being such a blessing to the new staff and you were no exception. You always had a way of keeping life in the kitchen entertaining with your cohorts. I know the Lord is going to work and move in your life in an amazing way this next year.

Brandon: I will never hear the word “cups” the same way ever again after hearing you scream it almost every single day for two months. :) Your positive attitude was always contagious and you always had something encouraging to say. Also, thanks for helping lead worship…. it was a joy watching you lead and seeing your absolute adoration for our Lord.

Steven: I’ll never forget attempting to hike the Incline in the rain with Kevin and Kara. Thanks for all your help in the kitchen, especially during Session 4 when Dishpit didn’t have to do much for dishes thanks to “The Plague.” Also, thank you for your encouragement and for being a great friend! You are a strong example of a man searching for the Lord’s heart. I know the Lord will do great things in your life.

Trent: “Tuh-rent.” Hah. Oh, Trent, you always had me laughing… usually it was more than just me though. You always had a way of encouraging others through your sense of humor. I look forward to hearing about everything the Lord does in your life on campus this next year. It was a blessing getting to know you and getting to go rafting with you as well! :)

Cam: I don’t think I’ll ever forget looking out the door of the kitchen and seeing you with your face on the floor after being tackled by the other members of Dishpit for your 21st birthday. :) You always had a way of just going with whatever came at you… even if it meant being dumped off at Red Mountain at some unearthly hour in the morning.

Man-tenance:

Stephen: you are an example of someone seeking to be a man after God’s own heart. Your genuine care for others and for the people around you is something that has not gone unnoticed. I always appreciated your honesty and your desire to know how I was really doing. You never let me get away with “good,” but you sought something more.

Sam: I, so very much, enjoyed being able to lead worship with you twice during each session. While oftentimes I felt inadequate not being a music major and having not sung seriously in several months, you always encouraged me. Thank you for your willingness to help on man-tenance and for doing your job, even when it require unclogging countless toilets on the 4th floor with Stephen.

Eric the Viking: First off, We Came as Romans rocks my world. :) I remember that was the topic of our first conversation… the first of many on bands and the beautiful world of screamo and Dubstep. Secondly, thanks for being such a great friend. Your care for the people around you and the grace to do it in such a way in that it’s humorous was always appreciated.

Koert: thanks for working on staff this summer! It was a blessing having you around. I appreciated your ability to have fun, make people laugh, and also have the occasional serious conversation. I know the Lord will continue to work in your life. Enjoy the second half of Summit!

Kennan: I love how small our world is. I appreciate so much the fact that you have been returning to Summit year after year. My first memories of you were not from this summer, but rather from 2008 when I was a student. It was so great to get to know you more this summer and I look forward to hopefully seeing you at Liz’s wedding in September!

Bryan: Like Kennan, my first memories of you were in 2008 when you were both on staff when I was a student. It was such a pleasure getting to know you a little bit more this summer working with you. I appreciated your genuine care for the people around you, even if you didn’t know them very well. I know the Lord is going to do wonderful things through you as you look to the future!

To The Watchers of the Night:

Ethan, my hiking and rafting buddy: I am so blessed to have gotten to know you this summer! Some of my favorite memories from this summer are from hiking Pikes Peak with you…. which involved face planting in the snow…. and going water-caving… which involved face planting in the water (I’m beginning to see a trend here…). Thank you for being such an encouragement and for being willing to have a different sleep schedule for two months while keeping all of Summit safe at night. :)

Eric the Bear: Every time I hear a radio voice, I think to myself: “Your voice is not as cool as Eric’s…” Thanks so much for being on Nightwatch this summer at Summit and for the serious and not so serious conversations we had. You are a great friend. I hope you enjoy your time in Israel! I’m praying for you!

Kendra: “FAAAANNNCYYY.” Seriously, I should just stop there. Little did we know that that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. :) Thank you for listening, laughing and being a friend. I’m so grateful that you worked Nightwatch, because I know I couldn’t do what you did. You are a blessing! I’m already praying for you as you look to this fall and to the future.

To the Valiant Classroom Directors:

Jason: how you manage to juggle everything is beyond me. I admire your ability to keep everything organized and how you are able to wear so many hats around Summit. You were always an encouragement to me and I appreciate your willingness to help direct classroom and other areas of Summit!

Aaron: I always appreciated your honesty and your ability to make others laugh. Thanks so much for working at Summit again…. you returning staffers always had a way of rocking my world. Thank you for helping in the classroom and for keeping things organized there.

Ty: Thank you so much for returning to staff at Summit again this summer. It was a joy to be able to get to know you and it was so much fun talking to you at different points during the summer. I enjoyed meeting your wonderful girlfriend and I know the Lord has great things for both of you!

Suzanne: You not only worked classroom, but you also did the unthinkable: organized and made the Summit bookstore look fantastic! Thanks for all your work in both areas. I appreciated your willingness to listen and to talk. I trust the rest of your summer will go well and that the Lord will continue to work and move in your life!

To the Lovely Ladies of the Front Desk:

Caitlin: you have a spirit that is so willing to do whatever in order to serve others. I admire that spirit and I wish I had more of it. Thank you so much for working at the front desk this summer. It was a joy getting to know you and I trust your time at Tennessee was Spirit-filled. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Kat: oh goodness…. where to begin. I suppose I could begin by simply saying thank you for being a friend, for offering tough love when I needed it, and for listening. You are a gem and I am so thankful to know you. Thanks for working at the front desk…. even when we had sick kiddos running down asking you for things. :) You are a blessing!

Kara: again with the lack of words…. one of my favorite memories from this summer was shopping at the Arc for an outfit for the hoe-down. Lots of laughter involved with that particular day. You always had such a positive spirit and some sort of encouragement for me. Thanks for being such an amazing friend through the good times and the bad. :)

Mish: Thank you so much for being such a blessing to those around you with your positive spirit. Despite being sick, you toughed it out and you came on staff and never once complained. I was so inspired by your willingness to serve, even when you yourself weren’t 100%, you gave 100%. Thank you for all the conversations over folding towels and for the encouragement you provided!

Joanna: Thanks for being willing to do whatever needed to be done around Summit. From working with the Man-tenance men to helping Mrs. Honken to working at the Front Desk, you were always more than willing to work wherever you were needed. Thanks so much for being a blessing in that way!

To Our Amazing Nursing Staff:

Tiffany: thank you so much for taking care of me after I fell climbing at the beginning of the summer and for taking care of all the others who were hurt and sick. Session 4 was a beast for you girls and you all rocked it. I was so inspired by how you took the sickness in stride and just dealt with it. May the Lord bless you as you move into this next stage in life!

Laura, aka–my towel-folding buddy on Changeover weekend: thank you so much for coming to staff at Summit. I love how the Lord works and I know that you were supposed to be on staff this summer. It was a blessing getting to know you. Thanks for all the work you did, particularly in session four! You girls were all rock stars!

Julianne, the fearless leader of the Nursing Staff: thank you so much for coming in after your trip abroad to work on staff! It was a joy getting to know you (and your delightful dog). Thank you for all the work you did and for the hours you didn’t get to sleep because you were taking care of sick students and staff. We appreciate your work so much!

To Our Fearless Staff Directors:

Jen: I know Summit wouldn’t be quite the same without your guidance and direction. Thank you so much for all the countless hours you put in during the summer and all the time you spend preparing for each summer. It was a blessing working at Summit and I am so thankful I got to know you!

Kevin: Thank you so much for your willingness to be the Guys Staff Director this summer! But even more so, thank you for reaching out to others on staff as well. I appreciated your encouragement and support and for your willingness to listen. I am so thankful for your friendship!

To the Inspiring Interns:

Russell: your guidance and support as a returning staffer was so appreciated by all of those who were first time staffers. Thank you for being a really amazing friend and for all the conversations we had, whether it was theological, spiritual, or relational. You always had a wise word to say and always encouraged me to think for myself.

Michelle: probably one of my favorite memories from this summer was hanging out at the airport waiting for students taking those ridiculous pictures. You are a joy and a blessing and I am so thankful for your encouragement this summer. Your friendship is something I am forever grateful for!

Hope: Between you and Amanda, when you both were around, there was usually always something humorous to laugh at. :) I appreciated your love for people and your desire to serve on staff this summer! It was a blessing getting to know you!

Amanda: Laughing is always something worth doing and between you and Hope, I think most of the summer was spent laughing at something. :) I appreciated your sense of humor, but also your ability to get serious when needed. Thank you for working as an intern this summer! I’m praying for the rest of your summer!

Andy: Thank you so much for the words of encouragement you offered any time you saw me. Your concern and care did not go unnoticed. I appreciated your willingness to do anything for anyone if they needed something done, even with your busy schedule. Thanks for organizing all the videos and working hard on those! They turned out great!

Joe: Thanks so much for being such a blessing to those around you! I always appreciated your encouragement and your willingness to work as an intern this summer! Thanks for all that you did in Mohawk and for all the work you put in on the videos!

To the Office Girls:

Meghan: First off, thank you so much for the coffee and for the time I got to spend with you on your mornings in your cabin. The conversation and the encouragement was something I will not forget. Secondly, thank you for all your work with Summit even when you’re juggling a busy schedule!

Ashley: Thank you so much for being a blessing. I remember those first few nights talking to you about life and whatever was thrown at us. You are a joy and I am so thankful for you! Thanks for all you do in the office and keeping things running smoothly.

Tosha: Thanks so much for being part of our staff this summer! It was so fun to serve with you! I am so thankful you got to work with the girls in the office. I am praying for you as you finish out your summer! May the Lord continue to bless you!

Wow… that may have been the longest blog post in the history of the world…. OK, maybe not. Long blog post short: Thank so much Summit Summer Staff for making my life so incredible this summer. You are all loved and missed. If you’re ever in the Minnesota area, even if you’re in the Minneapolis airport for a long layover, give me a shout! I’d love to see each and every one of you soon!

Sickness and a Lesson from the Lord

Heart pounding, I raced down the hall, my backpack on my back, keys in my hand. Hardly breathing any of the air in, I broke free of the doors and out into the fresh air. Currently, I’m still alive as we’ve been saying for the past few days. Healthy. Hiding out at a local coffee shop. Summit is now home to the 24-hour flu bug…. and I’m desperately trying to avoid it. My roommate had it, one of my suitemates has it, and many of the staffers have gotten it. Last night, it spread. Several students are down for the count with the nasty bug. The hotel smells like a Lysol bomb went off inside.

Out of this madness, I’ve found myself learning a lesson. This nasty 24-hour flu bug is a lot like sin. When it’s in our lives, we’re miserable. It can spread to others around us. We have to get to the root of the issue, and cleanse from the inside out. We’ve been feverishly working to sanitize everything in hopes of stopping the spread. The same with our sin. We try to sanitize and make it clean, but really truly, until we wipe out every part of our sin, every one of those germs, the sickness will continue to linger on, infecting others.

Be praying for the staff and students at Summit. It’s going to be a long couple weeks unless we get a handle on this sickness now. Pray for protection over the staff who have yet to get sick (thankfully I am one of those staffers who hasn’t gotten it yet!) and be praying for the students. We need the Lord’s touch over the hotel. We live in close quarters and it’s difficult to stop the spread. But we have a God who heals all diseases…. including the 24-hour flu. And it’s in faith that I pray for the healing of all who are sick.

Open Hands, Open Heart

‎”Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.” – Elisabeth Elliot

How often do we grab hold of something and not let go for fear it will slip away? How often do we cling to things even if they are not the most beneficial for us? How often does the Lord give us things and then we clutch them tightly in our fists, telling God it’s ours and that we are not willing to give it back? What would happen if we held things loosely in our hands, fingers outstretched, palms open ready to receive and to give away?

Over the past few weeks, the Lord has been loosening my grip on a few things I have held tightly to my chest, fearing if I opened my hands to Him, these things He had given would soon disappear. I find myself fearing pain… the pain of having things ripped away from me when I felt so unprepared. In Summit Session 2, I had a group of girls whom God used to really teach me a lesson in opening my hands to the Lord and trusting Him with the result.

“It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desires which He creates” — Amy Carmichael

So often, I find myself tightening my grip on things I greatly desire, but lack the trust that God will provide them in His perfect time. Trusting Him with everything has been a constant lesson in these past few months. My future, my relationships, and other things have bogged me down as I have gripped them tightly, causing unnecessary and unneeded stress and anxiety. As I have looked through Scripture, I have found time and time again a correlation between trust and love. Fully trusting God involves loving Him completely. Fully loving God involves completely trusting Him.

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” — Amy Carmichael

We may say we love the Lord, but until we give Him everything, we truly do not love Him. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. These things He gives and takes are blessings from Him, even if they involve pain. Pain draws us back to the Lord. As C.S. Lewis once said,

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Recently, I have found myself trapped in the quagmire of loneliness… an all consuming emotion, which often invades every part of one’s soul. It makes even the most full Christian feel empty. However, what I have found has already been said beautifully by Amy Carmichael (as if I haven’t used her wisdom enough in this post…)

“Bare heights of loneliness…a wilderness whose burning winds sweep over glowing sands, what are they to Him? Even there He can refresh us, even there He can renew us.”

Thus, through pain and even through loneliness, we are taught to hold our hands open to the Almighty God. He alone can fill us. He alone can renew us. He alone knows the cry of our souls. He alone can provide exactly what’s needed… as long as we remain with our palms to the sky, ready to receive and to give back to the One who gave us each gift.

You Might Work at Summit Ministries If….

… you work with some of the most amazing people in the entire world.

… you discuss the problem of evil over breakfast.

… you can’t go through one day without having some sort of deep theological discussion.

… you hear an animated banter over the differences between condiments and spreads.

… you discuss songs and note that while they are catchy, the worldview is pathetic.

… you get up at 5:30 and spend your morning in the kitchen, laughing hysterically at the things that are spoken in an early morning stupor.

… you meet students each session who are somehow connected to you when you were a student at Summit.

… you see trick or treaters in Manitou Springs in May and not bat an eye.

… you see a zombie wedding party downtown Manitou and think nothing of it.

… you consider the hippies around town just part of the unique flavor of the area.

… you go to Mate more than once a week.

… you become obsessed with speed volleyball and look forward to staff volleyball games.

… hiking the Incline and Red Mountain become weekly occurrences.

(To Be Continued…)

“Be Still and Know…”

“It has often occurred to me that a seeker after truth has to be silent.” — Gandhi

Too often I’m distracted. Frankly, I spend my life surrounded by noise — be it people, music, or some other thing, noise constantly inundates my ears. Silence is something I crave right now. I’m sitting in my room, resting in the shadow of the Almighty. Anxiety presses in and I withdraw into the presence of the Prince of Peace.

The past week has been exhausting mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. However, God has been showing up in some amazing ways. One of my girls in my small group accepted Christ during the week, which was so thrilling to be a part of and get to see. Her story is full of brokenness and pain, but God restores and heals. I’ve spent the majority of the week working in the kitchen at 6 AM every morning. It’s been taxing on my body with minimal sleep but I’ve managed to hang in there. Spending time with my small group girls (who are amazing and who have each taught me something about the Lord) and hanging out with other staffers has been amazing and blessings from the Lord.

On Friday, I went rock climbing. For the first two hours, I was having a ball, belaying other staffers and students, and climbing around as well. Unfortunately, near the end of our time there, I ended up in the b0uldering caves. Now, if you know anything about me, you’ll know I’m stubborn and a little hard-headed, particularly when it comes to doing things I want to do. Well, I wanted to boulder and while it crossed my mind I probably should be careful with my knee, I wrote it off as 8 months down the road from surgery and they told me I would be set at six months. Well… I was up on the wall, monkeying around, almost finished with a route when I slipped… and fell…. seven feet down. I landed (naturally….) on the same knee I had surgery on before, and felt it pop. Everything inside me screamed NO.

Now, here I sit, anxious and praying I didn’t re-injure it. I’m headed into the doctor tomorrow, hoping for answers and results favorable for one in my situation. It’s been a difficult day. Satan has been hard at work, trying to bring this to the forefront of my mind, causing me to worry that I re-tore it doing something so trivial. I brought one of my posters from school to Summit with me and I’ve seen it every day when I wake up and it’s something I find myself needing to cling to right now.

I now ask for your prayers in the next few days. Pray for favorable results, for wisdom for the doctors, and most importantly, that I wouldn’t let this distract me from the amazing things God is doing here at Summit this summer. I’m praying that this would be something that would just take time to heal and that I would be able to do everything (within reason) I want to this summer.

SUMMIT 2011

It’s HERE. I’ve been at Summit since Tuesday night and it’s been an eventful few days. We’ve been working hard to prep the hotel for the first round of students who are arriving tomorrow. Tuesday was a long day of traveling, hours of driving, dancing in the car through the sand hills of Nebraska, and endless cups of coffee later I arrived at my destination — Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, Colorado. This is probably one of my favorite places on earth. The mountains are just beautiful and the town is flavored with all sorts of interesting characters. Immediately upon arriving in Manitou, the memories came flooding back. Racing around the downtown area taking pictures with friends, seeing Mate where I met Ben (one of the guys that goes to school with me), and then the final sight…. the hotel where Summit Ministries is located. It was like a breath of fresh air.

The next few days were filled with cleaning the hotel, making dozens of beds, and preparing mentally and spiritually for the students to arrive. We discussed small group organization, our jobs (I’m working on the morning kitchen staff for session 1… so I’ll be up at the hour of 5:30 AM…. ick), and just got to know one another. I absolutely LOVE the staff I work with. We all come form such diverse and unique backgrounds but we click so well.

I live in the Penthouse of the hotel with five other girls. I am so blessed to live with Ashley, Mary Lowry, Laura, Sarah-Ashley and Rachel. These girls have been a blessing to me and I am looking forward to growing with them over the next two months.

Saying goodnight from the Rockies of Colorado and until later…..

Sweet Summertime

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.” — John Hope Franklin

IT’S HERE. IT’S FINALLY HERE.

Blissful summer has finally arrived. I spent the weekend soaking in the summertime, sitting out at my brothers’ track meet, getting a little sun burnt, going to church with my family and relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Tomorrow will be a day of last minute packing and organizing, preparing for my ten hour drive to SUMMIT. I don’t think there’s an ounce of me that’s not excited for what the summer has in store. I always have gotten this sense that this summer will be different than most. Maybe it’s because I’ll spend most of it in Colorado at Summit. Maybe it’s because it’s the unknown that has me so excited. Maybe it’s because I know God has so much to teach me this summer. Maybe it’s a combination of the three.

I’ll arrive at Summit on Tuesday night after a very long drive on Tuesday. I’ll drive all day, and naturally, I have to put a playlist of must-have songs on my I-pod. So here it is… my top 15 songs for the summertime and driving. :) This list is in no particular order I might add….

1. “We Owe This To Ourselves” by Anberlin — Nothing deserves to be at the top of the list more than my favorite band, Anberlin. Personally, this is one of my favorites to play on the road.

2. “Sing” by My Chemical Romance — I love the positivity that’s flowing from this song. Nice and upbeat for driving which is always a plus.

3. “Tonight Tonight” by Hot Chelle Rae — I’ve had this song on repeat for the past week simply because of the beat; lots of energy involved with this song.

4.  “Closer To The Edge” by 30 Seconds to Mars — This is a fantastic driving song. I’ve had it on my playlist for a while but I really love it.

5. “Who We Are” by Red — This song is killer, both live and on the CD. Nothing better than cranking the volume and rocking out on the freeway.

6. “Everything’s Magic” by Angels and Airwaves — Not so much a summertime song as much as my perception on the next few years.

7. “Dear X, You Don’t Own Me” by Disciple — Easily one of my favorite songs right now simple because it’s a reminder I’m not owned by my sinful nature.

8. “Home Life” by John Mayer — If you haven’t seen my previous post, you’ll need to know that I went through a John Mayer kick a while ago…. but it’s safe to say John Mayer’s melodious voice is still one of my favorites.

9. “Lovely Tonight” by Joshua Radin — Slower, yes, but it does not lack beauty. There’s something about this that makes me think of the open road and the sun on my face.

10. “Summer Song” by Jump5 — You can’t have a summer song list without having one song with the word “summer” in the title. Throwing myself back to my junior high days, I still love this group and this song.

11. “Firework” by Katy Perry — I must admit, I’ll probably get flack for putting this on here, but I love this song. It’s probably one of the best songs K-Perry has put out recently with the most positive message. Go K-P.

12. “Bulletproof” by La Roux — No song screams driving more than this song does.

13. “Blind” by Lifehouse — I loved hearing this song live in August 2010, but it still is one of my favorites. This definitely is appearing on my playlist.

14. “Life, Scars, Apologies” by Since October — Nothing like a little rock and roll to make the trip faster.

15. “Background” by Lacrae — This song is kinda the theme for my summer… I pray that I’ll play the background for my Lord as I serve Him at Summit and as I return back to my job in Minnesota where I’m the only Christian there.

BONUS: “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz — To properly drive, you of course have to add a little dynamite to the mix. :)

If you think of me Tuesday, pray for safe travels, for team unity at Summit and for God to work and move in my life and the lives of others around me as I work there this summer.