Yesterday when I came home with an iPhone, my mom was a little upset (to say the least). She felt excluded, since Lauren, Jason and I all have iPhones now. She didn't express any of her disappointment, because she’s the mom and she always tries to hold it all together! Her birthday is August 4th... so we went out and surprised her with her own iPhone today! We are the 3 G's! We celebrated her birthday in Sugar Land tonight with 3 envelopes, blastin' music in the kitchen and T.G.I. Fridays for dinner! I STARTED to pack for Cancun tonight at 8 PM, that's a tad late considering we leave at 4 AM tomorrow!!! This week is going to be incredible- I can't wait! Cancun 2010, BOOM!
On another note, this morning I found a letter that I wrote to myself the summer before I entered high school. I wrote it at Pine Cove Christian Camps and they sent it to me in the mail a year later. I saved it, of course! It amazed me how the things I wrote to myself in 2007 still apply to my life now. I am going to type the letter into the blog- some things may sound silly, but some of them are completely noteworthy. This letter is word for word off the paper and maybe the advice I gave myself 3 years ago can help someone else as well... here it goes!
Dear Kaitlyn, (July 2007)
Okay well I am at Pine Cove right now and I just want to remind myself of the things I've learned. I know high school is tough, hard and fun all at the same time! Just know that Jesus Christ is there with you through it all! He loves you for who YOU are exactly, and always thinks you're beautiful. Don't chase after the approval of others, because the Lord is the only one that can judge you and he thinks you are pretty darn amazing! Even though high school has faced you with many challenges when it comes to peer pressure, friends, honor classes, exams, boys, or whatever it might be... turn to the Lord! Chase after him, he wants you to! Always remember P-Haz's talk over bitterness, identity and control! Gossip is sin! The desires we have are always given to us from the Lord! Kaitlyn, seriously remember, we don't know what is best for ourselves... Jesus does! The Lord loves you! Don't be afraid of anything... Christ has got your back always and forever! The Lord is preparing you for GREAT things, be sure to make good decisions and help others have a desire for Christ like you did this week at camp! Always remember, people judge the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart! We don't have to be perfect, in fact there is NO WAY we will ever be perfect! Jesus loves us for who we are exactly, and that's the beauty of it! DO NOT seek the approval of others; what they think about you does not matter! Kaitlyn whatever your boy problems are currently, STOP worrying about them NOW! Seek after the Lord and joy will fill your life. And whatever pain you're experiencing, Jesus is the only thing that can take that away! Whatever you are currently seeking right now... those things will not make you happy. Remember that!!! You will have joy in the life God has planned for you! Remember the things you learned at camp, they changed your life. Kaitlyn, I know you have been trying VERY hard at everything you do! Make the right choices, be a leader not a follower, have fun in every situation, but most importantly CHASE AFTER THE LORD! It is the only thing that will bring joy to your life! No matter the circumstances right now, always know that Jesus loves you!
Questions: "Do I have a relationship with God or do I just have a religion?"
"Is Jesus an accessory or do I really need him?"
Love, Kaitlyn Engle
This letter was very convicting, considering I wrote it as an 8th grader looking ahead to the next four years of my life. If you actually read that whole letter, I hope that you can take something away from it! Whether it was something you can apply to your own life or simply learning more about my life and my heart three years ago.
The 3 G's = The past 3 Great years of my life!
The 3 G's = The past 3 Great years of my life!
