Oh Cornerstone, how I ___ thee

Well, it’s almost that time of year. The time when Chris and I pack the car to the top with camping gear, music gear, cameras, sunblock, bug spray and Clif Bars. Yup, it’s time for Cornerstone Festival 2009! And to be honest, this has been the first year I have had mixed feelings about it. It may be because last year’s trip was sooo long and ended sooo disappointing because of Chris getting sick and us having to 1-leave very early and 2-drive 17 hours with Chris not feeling well, after a trip to the hospital in the middle of IL, late at night. But anyway, here’s my run down of the good the bad and the smelly.

The good: This is the one time of year that for a week I feel completely free to be myself. Cornerstone brings out the creativity in me, the friendliness, the joy, the excitement…and it’s also the only place I go and (for the most part) don’t judge people. Yup, I said it. I judge people. Whether I like to or not, it happens. But at Cornerstone you just expect people to look, act and think different. I mean seriously, the seminars themselves should tell you that. In one festival you can attend seminars on: what God says about gays, womens roles in the church, modern evangelism, God in movies, the music industry, song writing and poetry, witnessing to the homeless, and missions going on around the world. Not to mention the goth presence, the hippies of the Jesus Village, the sports areas, the underground tent that draws in the heavy metal fans and hardcore group right next to the kid’s tent and the artists area. It’s an amazing gathering of ALL of God’s precious creations. And we obviously cannot forget that booming Afterhours Dance Barn that Chris and I are very much apart of. Ahhh, there is nothing like falling asleep in a tent under the trees hearing the thumping of the club fused with a late night worship band with just a touch of hardcore music. And yes, I do fall right asleep haha. When you hear God in all of it, it’s amazing what music you grow to like. So what else is good? The freshness of time with God. The friends we’ve made over the years and are very much looking forward to seeing in a week. The sunsets of Illinois are 10 times better than NY. The friendliness and acceptance of the people there. The music. Ahhh the music. So many great bands playing at all times.

The bad: The shower houses are horrible. They smell. They’re crowded. The curtains to most showers are torn. And it’s hard to be pretty with no hair dryers or full length mirrors. Sleeping in a tent for 6 days.  It’s fun the first few days – then I miss a bed in a room. Being the only girl (well okay, there are always a few, but you know what I mean!). As much as I really do love the guys that we camp and hang with all week, it’s hard not having a girl to sit around and chat with. I love dance music, but it’s hard for me to be in the dance barn 4-6 hours/night for 3-4 nights. I need my acoustic rock. I need my songwriter music. And THANK GOD I have a husband that understands and respects that. I know if I wasn’t there he’d spend all of his time in the barn so I appreciate that he knows I’m not like that. But, a big part of me feels guilty for “pulling him away” from the friends he only gets to see once/year. The friends that he’s always longing for, DJ/producer friends.

So I guess overall, the good outweighs the bad and that’s why we’re going, and that’s why I’ll be smiling (hopefully) the whole time. In the end, God, his people, and my husband matter more than the selfish “bads” I’ve come up with. I’m excited for the journey, the new people we’ll meet and of course the old friends that we’ve already made. So to Kevin, Dave, Alex, Brooks, Fitzpatrick, Glow, Kairsie, Kendrick, Joel, Jeremy and to whoever else I’m missing — see you soon!!! And Kevin, if you really bring me sweet tea, you’ll be my favorite for the week haha