Tonight was the last night of summer camp. I feel so blessed to have “going to camp” be a part of job as a grown up. How much fun is that? But truthfully, I am so worn out. We get up at the crack of of dawn, and we are active around camp until midnight. Everyday is a new adventure of faith and summer camp stuff: games, rafting, climbing wall, etc.

It’s been cool to spend time with strangers who come to lifeteen.com. Although I’ve met teenagers who come to the site over the past few years when I traveled on the weekends, I never really have to to get to know them. But when you have six days together, you really get a chance to share a part of your life with them.

Candyce has enjoyed being at camp. I’m always up front with the microphone and in the middle of the drama. She stays in the back and spends her time around camp in prayer. She understands prayer a lot better than I do. I pray because I know I am supposed to, not because it moves my heart.; I guess I am too heady.

It’s been exciting to see all the campers swooning over the shirts that the counselors are wearing. I really enjoyed designing all the shirts, but the counselor shirts were the most fun. We’ve sold quite a bit of stuff in the little store here at the camp. Today I saw dozens of teenagers wearing shirts that I designed. One girl was wearing three things I designed: a trucker hat, a hoody, and a T-shirt. It’s just an amazing feeling to see what was in my head solidify on a computer screen. But to see the stuff printed, and then to see people wearing it–it’s pretty darn cool.

I know I talk a lot about my T-shirt designs, and that’s because I understand them. I know when a teenager is happy to wear a shirt…when it makes her feel cool and she feels good about herself. I know that she can wear it at school this fall and be happy to talk about her experience at summer camp. All of this makes sense to me.

I don’t know how praying with someone for a half-hour makes a difference. Much of the life of a Christian is a mystery, and I’m okay with that. But I do hold onto what does make sense.