Dear blog,
Today is finally the day you’ve been waiting to happen. I’ve been talking about it for far too long, but today I’m launching your new look and address. Today is the day that lettersforlindsay.com comes to life!
Click here to visit there and forevermore this is the website you will enter.
Dear conversation,
You make me tick. If I didn’t already know, then I do now…I am recharged by you. I look forward to who I get to talk to and engage with each day. However in the midst of you, I long for depth. I struggle with shallow conversation. Let me rephrase: I love to joke around and laugh with people, but I would rather dive into a deep conversation and hear about what someone’s learning or dealing with than their pet or major any day.
Yesterday I ended up getting to have about six of you that got me fired up. Some were about struggles, others about the true definition of a guy being a spiritual leader. Some were about going back to school and making a difference, others about the hilarity of campers! My favorite of them all was the fact that I had three individual conversations with counselors who are fired up about knowing their Bible better and are actively trying to figure out how to study for themselves. If there is one thing I would hope staff would take away from their time at K-West, it would be for them to know truth for themselves rather than what they’ve been told their whole lives.
It’s normal for me to get fired up when I’m in the middle of you, but I was fired up and excited in the midst of these conversations. College aged girls are acknowledging their inadequacies and desiring to obtain wisdom. Getting to talk through this desire and what to do with it has definitely been a highlight of my summer thus far. If even just one of them takes advantage of their college years to really get a grasp on Scripture, they will have been more successful with their time than I was in college. My prayer for them is that they would continue to long for Scripture and apply it to their every day lives.
Grateful for you on so many levels,
Deep Conversation Lover
Dear camp,
There are many reasons that I love you, but moments like this have to be at the top of the list! Moments when you just get to be a kid, let loose and have a blast in the midst of campers. Today was one of those days. Slip n’ slide instead of specialties for basketball and tennis (yes, I’ve become quite the tennis teacher this summer!). The campers LOVED it, but the staff and I probably loved it just as much.
Abbey and I on the starting blocks with sheer intimidation in our eyes!
Abbey missed the start; I tried to stop mid run; result: falling flat on my rear and head!
I made it all the way down solo!
I sprinted up the hill for round 2!
Abbey took the lead and the win...
Obviously I wasn't to mad about losing because it's that awesome!!!
This was my first run of the summer on the newest addition to the Lampe camps. I’ve learned that I really LOVE having fun. I may be intense about life at times, but I genuinely just love to be a kid at heart and have fun! Make sure you go out and have some fun this summer!
Of course I would wipe out on the slip n’ slide,
Fun Lover
Dear concerts,
I’ve experienced more of you this summer than ever anticipated! Last term Lecrae came, and last night Micheal W. Smith put on a super fun show! Now, I have to be honest and say that outside of the token graduation song, “Friends are Friends Forever,” I didn’t know who Mdub was before I got to camp. I didn’t grow up on Christian pop tunes, but a ton of people my age did.
It’s also important to clarify that many of our campers probably have no idea who Mbud is because, well, they don’t even know who N’Sync is. However, Mdub has been writing camp theme songs for years, so if nothing else they’ve heard those. Honestly, I don’t think it would matter who was on stage…the majority of our kids would have a blast. And of course I just danced the night away and had a truckload of fun! Oh, and this whole social media gig gives me the right to get on stage to film…hilarious!
Mdub, thanks for coming! It’s always fun to change up our schedule and have be crazy for an evening. I always want to attend another one of you…you’ve given me the concert bug…who will it be?!
I may have missed out my first 19 years of life, but I’m now an Mdub fan,
Concert Enthusiast
Dear life,
You are a plethora of things. Fun. Hard. Funny. Complicated. Easy. And SO much more. However, when push comes to shove, this quote basically sums you up in my book.
“Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says, OH NO, she’s up.”
I’m on my day off and when I checked my Facebook this quote was on my wall from my sweet sister who said it reminded her of me. Super thoughtful of her and entirely humbling. It forced me to evaluate if it was even remotely true about me. It forced me to think through what I’m doing with you.
Today, I am challenged by this quote. Does my life make Satan uneasy or does he care less because I’m not impacting people for Christ?
Jamie, thanks for the encouragement and challenge. Lord, forgive me for not always being a threat to the Devil. Devil, you are my nemesis…here’s to a lifetime of battles.
Committed to waking up ready,
Challenge Accepter
Dear Stampede,
Last night was the 33rd K-West Western Party I’ve been in attendance of and you haven’t gotten old yet! This is our staple party we have every term, every summer. Campers love it, staff really love it and we’re K-West so it makes sense for us to have a western party! I’m convinced a big reason is that middle schoolers get to dance with boys, but hey, as long as they’re having fun who cares! Two-steppin’, watermelon eatin’, root beer drinkin’, line dancin’ and picture takin’…what more could you ask for?!
Me, just being me!
Here’s a bit of a glimpse into my ‘western world!’
Two of my favs...check that sunset!
One of my favorite campers ever!!
Thanks for providing a super fun day at camp and great picture opportunities!
Loved the change in music selection this day and an excuse to actually get dressed at camp (you would’ve thought the world ended when people saw me…not sure if this is a good or bad thing?!),
Western Party Lover
Dear camp,
You are comprised of some good people…some really fun people! Thanks for allowing me to work at you with these folks. Thanks that they challenge and encourage me in ways they’ll never know. Thanks that I have the opportunity to work alongside them. Thanks for creating a K-West family to get to do three months out of the year with. Thanks for teaching me so much about life through these people. Maybe most importantly, thanks for the ample time to shower so I look awesome in ALL camp photos (insert sarcasm here!!!)!
All Komo staff at the 4th of July picnic...
Until next time,
Lindsay
Dear July 4th,
You are one of my favorite holidays, if not my actual favorite! You are easily my favorite day of the summer…great food, fun people, giant pool party, red, white and blue color scheme through everyone’s attire, waking up to fireworks (the only day of the year this is acceptable!) and going to bed to fireworks, patriotic music…honestly, the list could go on and on. I LOVE you, and if I would have been a camper, I would’ve wanted to come to camp during you!
The flip side of you is that it’s one of my favorite holidays to spend with family and for the past six years this has been a no go. I miss just hanging out at the lake, grilling out, shooting fireworks, catching up with family and friends and having zero responsibility! Family, know that you are missed even as much as I love camp’s version of you.
So, we celebrate America’s freedom as a little K-West family, and it’s awesome! Thankful to have such great people to celebrate with and to work at a place that lets us be crazy and fun. I’m also thankful to live in America…as many issues as we have, we still have a ton of liberties other places don’t.
I’m proud to be an American…(Lee Greenwood for President!),
4th of July Lover
Dear self,
Last night a mom and her daughter arrived at camp at 11 pm after the most hectic day of traveling I’ve ever heard. Missed flight, new flights, rented car, driving for hours just to get her daughter to camp on the right day. Literally after introducing myself the mom proceeded to tell me she was turning around to drive back to Tulsa to catch a flight home this morning…3 1/2 more hours. After offering her a place to stay for the night with no luck convincing her, we got her on her way. The office girls and I got the camper settled in her cabin among her already sleeping cabin mates and called it good until this morning.
So, random story I know. However, to me it’s not that random. Quirky stuff like this happens everyday at camp, and we just learn to roll with it. This is one of the happenings that got me thinking.
I want to be the kind of mom that will go out of my way for my kids…assuming I have kids. I don’t want to enable them, but I want them to know they will be fought for and how much they are loved. Sure, I could’ve been annoyed that we had to go to stay up waiting and stir an entire cabin to get a kid in bed. Instead I was blown away by how much a mother would do for her child.
This mom was determined to get her kid to camp. I want to be this determined about something in life. No, I don’t have a kid to get to camp, but I do work in 100 degree weather everyday with kids who’s moms were determined to get them here. I want to be determined to do things well, to execute them to the best of my ability. I want to be faithful and loving. I want to be the person who will drive through the night to make sure her kid gets to camp.
Thankful for random, eye-opening moments such as these,
Observer of Mother/Daughter Relationships
Dear world,
I’m always amazed at how small you really are. Honestly, I’ve stood on ski slopes, beaches and tthe Mount of Olives and bumped into people I know or that know people I know. Honestly, out of 6-7 billion people, what are the odds?!
As cool as that is, I love your smallness even more when it comes to camp. Just today I ran into three families that reminded meof your smallness. 1) My sorority advisor’s (I was on council and got to know her well!) pledge sister who was picking up her daughter who happened to be in basketball with me. 2) I happened to be walking to the office and ran into a couple from my hometown picking up their grandson. My sister and bro-in-law are best friends with the couple’s son. 3) My oldest sister’s neighbors. I found out that a camper was from Edmond, then she told me her neighborhood name…same as my sister’s! After meeting her parents, we realized they live WAY closer than originally thought…like maybe even the same street! Jam, I found you a babysitter!
All this to say, we make comments about you being small all the time. Reality, you’re not that small, but in situations where we run into the few people we know in situations and are able to make connections it sure is fun. I’m not sure I have a shy bone in my body, but being able to make these kinds of connections makes me even less shy. Moral of the story: if you know me, send your kid to camp so I can see you! Kidding…I mean, really, you should send your kid to camp, but for way more reasons than seeing me. Real moral of the story: don’t be afraid to chat with people and find fun connections. It sure is fun!
It’s a small world after all,
Connection Connector
Letters for Lindsay 