Dear Diary,







April 14th, 2008

I’m writing from cabin 4 tonight. I’m at Westminster woods for my church retreat! I love it here. No parents, great food, and super cute boys! I can’t wait till tomorrow! Well, its time for lights out. Goodnight.

Gwen’s bus drove down the dirt road; the kids in the back scream with joy. Left and right you can only see trees. Finally she reads a sign saying “Westminster woods,” The kids unload and sprint to the cabins. Gwen picks her bunk, grabs her bags, and joins in on the conversation with all the girls. As always, they talk about how cute all the boys are, and how they were going to date one of them by the end of the weekend.

Chapel time was up first, A.K.A nap time. The girls sit together passing notes; the boys sit together throwing marker caps at the walls. Gwen already had her eye on a certain boy. Boys, that’s all she could think about. Snack time is next. This was her chance to talk to the boy from chapel she had been thinking about! Her heart was racing as she runs to the dining hall, leaving her friends behind her. She sits and eats her snack as she trys to scope out her prize.

Gwen and her close friend Alyssa walk about to the cabin, talking about how they can catch that boys attention tomorrow. The girls get ready for bed and snuggle into their cozy bunks. Their heads are filled with exciting adventures about the weekend as they fall into a deep slumber. Lights out.
Dear Diary,







April 15th, 2008


Today is my first official day of camp! It’s around 8 o’clock, and all of the girls are getting ready. Breakfast is up first on today’s schedule. Biscuits and gravy, I think, is what we are having. Yumm! I saw this boy last night. His name is Josh, but he’s an 8th grader. So well will see what happens today, since I’m just a 7th grader. Maybe I can finally get him to notice me!

Gwen walks to breakfast with her cabin; Eager to see Josh. He’s all she could think about last night. She can’t help but look at him all through breakfast. She could only hope that he would catch her glance, and look deeply into her eyes like the movies, but she knew that would never happen.

After breakfast Gwen went about her day, hoping to ‘casually’ bump into Josh at any moment. Nothing was going to in the way of getting to Josh. Or so she thought. That next day, everything went as normal. Until Gwen saw Josh flirting with two other girls. Jealousy took over her head. That night at chapel Gwen sat no where near Josh.

It was the last Chapel of the weekend. Gwen hadn’t paid attention the whole weekend at chapel. Then one question grasped her attention. “Have you really lived your life as a Christian?” This made Gwen think about that question. She had never really thought about living as a Christian. As the night came to a close, they sang one last song of worship. Gwen could feel the connection with God around her. Everyone was so into the moment. She wanted to feel the spirit within her.

The music played as Gwen looked into the heavens. Black streams ran down her face. “Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades. Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame” the song sang. Her knees buckled as her voice peaks and silences as she tries to sing the words. “And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise. From the inside out lord, my heart cries.” Her face is red and flooded with tears. As the song fills her heart, Gwen falls to her knees, crying out the song.

Then, as the tears started to slow, and the song came to and end, Gwen realized that she had finally found what she had been looking for all along; The Lord. She needed the lord in her heart to make her feel the way she did. She had never had that feeling before; and she liked it. She likes the feeling that her life was now complete. She didn’t need anything else. She was whole.
Dear Diary,




April 16th, 2008


Tonight in chapel I had the most moving experience. Tonight is when my life has begun. I am now alive with the spirit. I have felt theLord presence. And I know what I need to do with my life. Tonight is the turning point for me. I couldn’t believe how amazing I could feel. I have definitely changed my life, No. The Lord has changed my life.

Gwen Shut her diary, snuggled into her bed, and prayed. “Lord, I pray for the strength to keep this faith you have shown me tonight. Amen”. As she drifted to sleep, she had forgotten about jJosh, and only cared about that night. She was changed.

As Gwen awoke the next morning, she was the first to get up. She was ready for her first day of a new life. She headed down to breakfast, and then off to her last worship till she left. As they loaded the busses, she couldn’t wait to tell her mom about all the amazing things she had learned. She wrote her last entery into her diary on the bus.
Dear Diary,




April 17th, 2008


Now, as I venture into the real world. I pray I can keep my newly found faith. I can’t wait to tell mom about all my findings through Christ. I hope I can influence others into finding what I have found. You never realize what you’ve been missing till you find it, and once you do, you hope you never lose it again. God bless.