the 'why' behind what I do

So the 4th(?) annual Young Adult Retreat hosted by Camp Hebron happened December 16-18, 2011. I am so thankful to report that there are a number of things to share that made me remember the "why" behind what I do, or attempt to do.

What I attempt to do with planning retreats is create an atmosphere that encourages people to 'connect with God, nature and each other' (thank you Camp Hebron tagline).

This year's retreat started out quite normal: frustrating. Three weeks out there were whole 5 people signed up. Great. At that point I start to decide if I commence nagging every young adult I know constantly, cancel the event, pout, or pray and have faith and stop worrying. Well, I only had faith in spurts (thanks to supportive friends who reminded me to do so) but the event was not cancelled. I am so glad.

My new friend Winnie found the event online last year and organized their church's young adult group from Philly. What a God-send. True to human nature, I worried about this too. I'm so white and despite not attending a Mennonite church, quite Mennonite too. I planned a retreat I thought sounded fun and good and was concerned if the weekend would feel relevant to city folk. Just because the Lord doesn't answer my worries, I mean prayers, like I want him to doesn't warrant this poor showing of faith. THANKFULLY, He is faithful and continues to work whether I'm Little Miss Believer or not.

The weekend seemed ordained for this group of 14.
First, we moved the whole retreat down the hill (since the dining hall in the youth camp area was getting an upgrade I didn't know about) to the retreat center. My new friends could have handled walking in the dark, cold winter woodlands well enough but its so nice they didn't have to since everything was in one building.
Second, the Lord is strong in their lives, drawing them into his presence, revealing in deeper ways the gifts he's given them and calling them to live for him out loud every day. Some of them were up until 4 am the first night just talking about how Awesome God is and what he's doing in their lives.

The next night I sat with them to hear what they were talking about and it was more of the same, how the Lord was becoming real, fresh and challenging each other to be willing to live and die for him. whoosh. I don't know many people who sit around and talk about that. SWEET. Create a space to connect with God and each other - check!

Special thanks to Kelly and team for leading worship. Wasn't nearly long enough. :) Josef was on target and relevant and captivating (the German accent helped - I just dig accents... except when you can't understand them and experiencing major jet lag...). Thanks to everyone who came expecting. Expecting fun. Willingness to meet new people. Experiencing relaxation, conversations, laughter. Ahh and a bonfire complete with impromptu accapella Christmas caroling. There was even an ER visit. Haha, ok. It happens.

God is good. And as I sit in a corner at Panera typing this, I just saw a high school aged kid fold his hands and pray for his meal. Love it.

Special Announcements at Christmas

I'm so happy for all the people who have gotten engaged over Christmas!!! Oh... wait a minute... no, I'm not. Jealous. Ah yeah, that's a bit more accurate.

'long' distance

there are quite a few times I get a thought and think "that could make a good blog entry". But its usually just that - a thought. One thought. Not an eloquent speech. Not a piece of writing that a teacher would approve with complete thesis statement, plot, build up, 3 main points, climax, supporting data or summary statement. A sentence hardly seems worth writing.

That, and I tell myself to just stay busy living life. I would like to think I have such a scheduled, always exciting life going here, there and everywhere that I simply don't have time to blog. If you assumed that is why I lack in regular entries, good, I want you to think that. I must admit though you would be mistaken.

Take today for example. Got up at 8 am. Got fancied up for church (mind, I work at a camp so its nice to have an excuse to look like I care about my appearance every once in awhile), packed a change of active clothes not knowing what the afternoon would bring, snarfed 1/2 bagel, manned the Welcome Center at church, listened to a sermon about what generosity should look like and what our hearts, sadly, don't show through our [lack of] actions. Wandered around between services looking for people to connect with and talk to without much luck. My change of clothes found their way back home with me to a simple life. I started to scroll through my phone numbers to see if anyone stood out as someone I should call to hang out with but 300 is a lot to sort through so I focused on lunch.

I posted on facebook 'anyone want to watch Elf?' It did get comments and likes throughout the day but no one read the pathetic-ness in my post which was really a cry for someone to reach out to me and hang out! I could have been more straight forward and added 'call me' but wanted to sound more indifferent about it. Oooooooooooooohhhhh well.

Ended up playing a LOT of spider solitaire (my new obsession), stalking on facebook, reading emails (too lazy to respond just yet....), cleaned my bathroom thoroughly (yay!), emptied out my coaching bag, whipped out some icing for cookies made yesterday, wrapped a Christmas present, drug my booty to the gym to burn off 500 calories of the way more calories I consumed of aforementioned cookies, and... prayed and pined for fellowship.

This is screaming of loneliness. Honestly, I'm not lonely, I had a quaint day at home. I kept in mind that come January (a.k.a. retreat season non-stop) I will yearn for such a day. I am thankful for today's simplicity. But why couldn't I spend part of it in deep prayer, digging in God's word, run outside during working up a healthy sweat? Or why didn't I call someone?

I wonder if people I've been hanging out with the past year are friends mostly just because its been convenient. I've felt this a few times in my life when I have expected more kindness and commitment to be shown to me through making an effort to see/spend time with me not be met because it wasn't as convenient for them as other friendships or activities. It's never a welcome experience especially because my personality type cares a ton about relationships. Not that I have to have a ton of relationships, but that the ones I do I care about, invest in and desire mutual respect, response & care. When I take the time to open up my home and invite others to come it's tough not to interpret their responses of "I'm not up for the drive", "I haven't decided yet [read: waiting to see if something better comes up]", "sounds fun/I really want to but..." to really be saying "You're not that important to me." Ouch. Especially when I put out some feelers asking if anything was going on and not too much was pre-planned. Those who did end up coming drove farther than the group I've spent way too much time driving to see. I probably won't too quickly forget but I'll get over it and forgive. Sigh.

Here's to quiet reflective days.

31 highlights

the weekend of September 23-25, 2011 was the annual White water Rafting Trip hosted by Camp Hebron and joined with Franconia Mennonite youth. What a wonderful thing that it has typically been falling on the weekend closest to my birthday.



A spin off of 31 flavors, since tomorrow I'll turn the big 3-1....

31 things I am thankful for from the whitewater rafting trip:
1. Rain
2. Sunshine
3. Mike Ford
4. Dan Cannaday
5. Food
6. Luann Ulrich
7. 6 years of whitewater rafting experience
8. Even more years of canoeing experience
9. Functioning tents
10. Fire
11. my deluxe thermarest
12. PFDs
13. Silliness
14. a fresh view of God's relationship with his children
15. hot water for showers
16. warm, dry clothes
17. Brakes
18. A sound mind to keep working a pinned raft out of a bad predicament
19. muscles to carry things and paddle
20. a knit hat
21. awe and wonder at creation
22. honesty
23. rushing water
24. Bruises a.k.a. 'bragging rights'
25. early dismissal (and therefore an earlier practice with the girls so I could get on the road for my trip)
26. mountain pies
27. thrilling adventure
28. finances
29. my job
30. bathrooms
31. 31 years of blessed life

it's been awhile...

time for some updates.

The lettuce DID NOT GROW. Sadly. I'm going to blame it on no sunshine.

It's rained A LOT this fall.
Record flood in my years of living in Halifax.

After next Monday (Sept 26) I will be IN my 30's. Ugh. But its just a number.

Coaching again. Love it. Though I don't feel like I'm doing my best at building personal, meaningful relationships with the girls.

I like a boy. and he likes me. but what are differences that can't be compromised? And who says. Sigh. Clarity is tough to come by.

I have 2 sisters now!! even if by law. One older and one younger.

Not all of the goals I set from last year are met.

I live in a trailer. and I like it. but I'm not white trash. :)

God is so good. He's given me faith. Why don't some people I care about have that gift?

God's doing really awesome things in some families through the gift of adoption. He's given me a vision to support that through a venue at Camp and I'm excited to see how it develops.

Working in ministry is far from perfect. Sometimes its down right frustrating. I need wisdom. It's easier to pray for God to give Other people wisdom, haha!

I average smushing or removing from my premises about 4 insects/spiders/creepy crawlers every day. that's a bit too many.

I like to blog and should do so more often but I just don't.

I witnessed goat showing & judging at the Gratz Fair this week. wow.

the. end.

Life on hold while in Super Non-stop Go Mode

Summer camping season is awesome. I love it. There's so much going on, ALL THE TIME. Yet life as I know it the rest of the year literally gets put on hold. I was so much more aware of that this year for whatever reason. Maybe it was making new friends at the beginning of the year (a number of them being teachers) and for them summer means no schedule, let's plan fun things to do and hang out. It's doesn't really make sense to 9-5ers year round or teachers that for me, summer means some weeks my life is put on hold. Actually, friends have been super, supportive and we've still managed to find snippets of time to enjoy summer daze but its a tough balance to maintain priorities and friendships. Kudos to the friends who've kept in touch, not taken my lack of availability for calls & texts personally and who haven't forgotten about me.

Even bigger props to JC who is working in the lives of kids and families this summer. It's such a mystery to me and I love love love that the God of the universe chose this time in history to allow me to be a part of witnessing what happens in and through Him at Camp Hebron.

Summer Solstice

i.e. National Naked Hike Day

Just going to copy & paste this article.

The Pros and Cons of National Naked Hiking Day

By Liz Tracy Fri., Jun. 17 2011 at 9:00 AM

via hikingnaked.com

It's time to get nekked. But bring bug spray.

​​ Naked Hiking Day takes place this year on June 21, a Tuesday. Seems like an innocuous day to get out of your underwear and gallop out in the open air. Instinctively, it makes sense. It's like, yes, go back to your roots, be all tribal and shit. But then the actual logistics of this "free spirited" activity awoke in us thoughts of asshole mosquito bites, and nippular poison ivy.

There are pros and cons to wandering the wilderness in the nude. The idea of grabbing a hiking stick (an actual stick, you perverts), our Nalgene filled with filtered tap water, strapping on our finest hiking boots, and taking off everything else sounds like a really fun time! Let's look at what we should be specifically worried and stoked about.

Bugs, snakes, critters: Con

Bugs suck. In Boston right now, they have an influx of giant mosquitoes the size of an orgy of wasps, saw it on TV. Down here, our mosquitoes are twenty times as hungry. The Everglades are filled with child-sized munching bugs of all sorts, things like giant beetles, fearless grasshoppers, and critters that would turn Andrew Zimmern's stomach. Without the protection of fabric, you might as well cover yourself with honey and lay in an ant pile. It's like you're a meat kabob in a pen with starving tigers.

Achieving an actual sensation of freedom: Pro
Being naked rules. Maybe you're self-conscious. Here's a little note for you: get over it, you'll be dead soon enough, enjoy those flabby tits and flat tushies to their fullest. It's not like being naked in a warm enough climate is simply something that seems liberating, it freakin' is. It's awesome.

Rangers: Con
sn't there something, maybe everything, illegal about walking around nude in public? There was that women can be topless in New York thing, but generally speaking we mean. Does it make you a sex offender to be caught in the flesh in public? If you're hiking naked in a national park, and you get caught, would that make it a federal offense? These are things we need to know before dropping trou in the outdoors. Call your nudist lawyer friends, you've got at least one. Ask around.&

Other hikers: Pro/Con
After you get over being self-conscious, it kind of seems like it'd be fun to prance around naked, but running into other people on the trails might make the whole affair kind of either exciting or embarrassing. It's safe to bet everyone huffing and puffing in the summer air over broken twigs is going to be about 300 pounds of hairy man meat, so chill out, bring some pepper spray, bear spray, bug spray, and get ready to show Mother Earth the beauty she made in you.

Happy trails!

Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.

Christmas in May

I moved in to the 'mobile home' (I'm told Trailer sounds too white trash) August 2010 so this is my first spring in my new place. It is so fun to see what little beauties are growing up all around. Makes me thankful for all this rain we've had. Welcome May flowers!
My grandmother has a green thumb and her roses are the BEST fragrance I have ever smelled. It's not often I get flowers but wild or home grown roses FAR outlast store bought editions. Take note future husband. And I'll keep in mind that its the thought that counts.
Maybe my interest in things that grow stems from g-ma. Or maybe its natural for God's creation to admire the rest of his creation. I planted a few strawberry seeds 2 weeks ago and am eagerly awaiting their arrival. Today I put some Simpson Elite Lettuce (Burpee brand, teehee. Really? Is that someone's last name?) in the ground. There's just something right about eating something you planted, cared for and watched grow.

Day 1
lovingly placed, miracle grow added, watered


Take a walk with me around my home. I don't know what any of them are but they are more beautiful than Solomon in all his splendor.

Jazzy planted this last summer. I kept it in my house all winter and thought it died. It was so pitiful. Now look at it! So many spiritual lessons to glean from that one.



This one is a violet. That's all I know.



I thought about posting these on facebook but honestly WHO CARES about the plants around my house. I'd bore myself with them. Yet I felt I had to document them somewhere and this is like my secret public soap box.

babies!

I like little kiddos. This seems to surprise people. My favorites are probably 2 year olds.
I don't necessarily have the burning desire to have my own (though these thoughts do frequent my mind the older I get and the more I see friends & family entering this stage of life - maybe I don't want to be totally left behind?) But I do enjoy making little stinkers laugh, get hyper and then giving them back. :) Here are some of my recent interactions.
Rielle modeling the bloomers and head thingee. They go with a dress I got her but the dress was MIA at the taking of the photo. She hates things on her head. Her daddy did some clever distraction while I quick snapped the photo - hands are in place to remove the unwanted head gear. Um, CUTE!
I like to laugh at things and take photos of funny things. Eye for the quirky is how other people call it. Whatever, I call it funny.
This photo was all my idea. Rielle was not a fan. Should the Lord choose to bless me with kids of my own some day, my poor children may be subjected to some ridiculous things for the good of photo opps. Sorry in advance!


This is one of April's twins (She & I worked at Camp Hebron together as counselors. She has 5 kids, the youngest two are twins). 50/50 chance of it being either Brynn or Brielle. I don't know. Her babies are wonderfully chunky.

Javan Michael - my cousin's fourth son. She & I are only 6 months apart in age. Can you imagine me with 4 boys now??




This is Cade. His mommy is Cherry (April's younger sister who is my age). She also has twins and then this little dude. His aunt Crystal & I had fun laughing at- with him.

spring showers bring mud

My dad once told me I don't let the grass grow beneath my feet. It's true, I don't do well when I'm not doing things. An outlet seems to be sports. I don't like to be dirty but if its earned and there was something unique being done to make myself dirty, its worthy of pictures.

This past Sunday I got to play 4 hours of soccer - in the mud. Last week the games were cancelled due to 'standing water' in the fields. This week, games were played but uh, the standing water was still present. :)

This is not a great cameo picture because I cut off the top part of my head which had mud caked in my hair from heading the ball. I only noticed the person in the background bending over when I posted this pic but it helps you get the point that everyone took some of the field home with them after the matches.

My cleats and socks got the brunt of the cake. Level of soreness the next day?: Satisfactory.


This is an after shot of my shirt after the Humdinger trail run (quite painful). This shirt is one of my favorites so I'm glad it came out clean.

Walking in the Way

Humdinger trail run

I seem to be having issues loading the videos - boo. Oh well. They were just little documentaries for me to entertain myself since I went to the race buddy-less.


Sign: Ambulance by the finish line. Good or bad? You decide.




More documenting to make the day fun and lower expectations.

I mentioned bowel movements in the previous vid, & thought this bathroom sign was quite appropriate. :)



Pre-race jitters. Chatting, stretching, jumping, medical crew on stand-by, laughing (nervously), some awaiting the free beer at mile 1, others trying not to think about the self-inflicted pain to come.


Pre-race.





With PennDOT wanting to charge extra for using their roads, the race director decided to have a 'Crossfire start' where the participants start at one of two places and then have to cross each others paths to scurry on up a hill and begin the race. It was great! I just yelled. (The subtle expletive is not me but still funny). Unfortunately I accidentally pre-maturely stopped the video. I meant for it to go longer and get a clip of the 3 inches of mud on the hill and the guy beside me happily declaring, "This is f***ing crazy!" while race volunteers are directing "up the hill! up the hill!" So classic, and so on par.


Fellow "Dingers" (what the race director named the participants) careening straight down a slightly steep embankment. Understatement. See the race volunteers standing on the road waaay down below?


Only for the trail to go right back up. Walking was an option I did lower myself to. Sigh. (more like GASP for air)


I may have done more walking than I had hoped, but there was also mudding, stream crossings, pricker picking, slush, ice (witnessed a few good wipe outs & called one guy 'Safe!'), and yes, mud. I personally missed the snow cover from last year. My descents received recognition from other racers but I wasn't able to make quite as many downhill passes as the year of the snow.
I heard one 'Dinger say pre-race gazing up into the mountain race course, "It is so beautifully warm out. It is going to be a swamp out there." True.


Wet from the head first slide finish, muddy, slightly dissatisfied, tired but happy the pain was over. Mission: Accomplished.

Another Dinger quote, "This wasn't a race. It was an experience." Hmm. Yes. But I also use that description to cover up the fact that the mountain kicked my bum!


Nappy bear suit. Unexpected outcome in hand. Kodak moment.

There were about 350 pre-registered racers. At the time I left for home only 285 timing chips had come in. The race director's wife told me at most events they have to send a search party out to find people! Gah!

All's well that ends well because its not how well you start, its how you finish. In this case, I'm just glad I finished!

a few of my favorite things

Seeing friends at a public event. (Note: the fact that it was a memorial service for our friend is NOT a favorite thing but he would love that quality fellowship was a result of remembering his life)

Having food in my cupboards, fridge and freezer.

Inviting friends over to my house to indulge in said stockage of food.

Impromptu get togethers!

Cooking together.

Figuring out just how many plates & cups I have.

Having people hang out in my living room.

Getting busted on for my embarrassingly awkward childhood photos.

Doing dishes twice in one day because of having company twice.

Vacuuming dirt off my floor because there were little feet in the house.

Notes added to my white board.

Laughter.

My face hurting from so much smiling.




This post was inspired by Sunday evening I ended up inviting a bunch of friends for the memorial service over for an impromptu dinner/hang out night. It was fun. It ended up being 5 boys and a middle aged couple and me. Random. We had supper and then ended up laughing at my elementary school photos.

gray. the human factor

The more 'life' I have, the more jaded I feel about some things.
The top three, in no particular order (at the time of this blogging) are
1.) Marriage
2.) God's will
3.) right & wrong

I really don't need to write about marriage, finding one's 'soul mate' or contentment because I could read what everyone else has to say about it for the rest of my life and still be at the same junction. And single.

God's will is awesome, perfect, right and out of my realm of human rationalization. Do we cheapen the holiness of God when we attribute all the coincidences in life as God's will? Or do we fail to recognize his intricate compassion for our very being if we don't? I had just turned the ignition of my car to go return a book to its owner who'd asked for it back a few days ago when my phone rang and she was checking to see if I remembered. "Must be the Lord's will" she says. Really? I don't know...

I don't claim to be in tune with God's spirit and know His will all the time. I'm just not that good. or disciplined. Am I being lackluster by not chasing after Him, normal, or safe for acknowledging that His ways are higher, MUCH higher, than mine? After all, I do believe that if I make a decision that isn't in his will, he'll turn it back into something good. He teaches lessons through our mistakes. He is capable of doing what He wants with or without me.

And when making a decision, especially bigger ones, there is so much gray area to sort through. Gray, the human factor. I think if everything were up to God, there would be a whole lot more black and white. It would be easy - love people. Have joy. Find peace. Practice self control. But there's this nasty little thing called sin. And oh, the way it plays out with human free will. Lord have mercy!
Have you ever tried to decide how to go about a situation, seeking counsel from others, taking time to weigh pros & cons, praying for guidance and still have no idea what is "right"? Of course you have, we all have. Seeking counsel from those we trust can be good because they think of perspectives and questions that were as out of your thought process as Pooh Bear never eating honey again. I'll talk with one person, kinda have my mind settled one way then talk to another who brings up equally good points and suggestions and start leaning towards the opposite decision. Ever get sick on a sea saw? That's what it feels like. Guess it boils down to having to trust God to make it clear - to ME. As I spend time with him, dwell in His word, listen. Yes, considering the counsel of others is good but you can't depend on them to make the decision for you.

And after a decision is made, the comforting thing is, its not too late for God to change things up, close the door, open up a window instead or upset the fruit basket. When involving others in big decision making, its important to be thankful for their time of listening and advice (even if it comes unsolicited) not to burn bridges and to gauge if they are a dependable support no matter where you go with the decision. While others aren't supposed to make our decisions, you may have to put up with "I told you so's", disapproving looks and a dose of humility in accepting their conditional support because you do need others to get you through.

About the worst thing we can do is second guess ourselves. If it turns out you've made a decision you regret, apologize, do what you can to rectify the situation and move on. Keep hope alive. All is not lost.

snow run

Snow, falling, is one of the most beautiful sights to behold. One winter evening it was falling. My lesser known, shier, adventurous side decided I needed some exercise at that moment in the form of a run. Surprisingly the fair weather runner inside of me was all about it too, no debate ensued. This photo was from a few weeks later on a much colder day and in the morning but represents the ridiculousness of the adventure. Take note of the frosties on the eye lashes, the frozen hair on photo left, the frozen condensation on my face mask and head warmer.
Now that I have one experience of night time snow running in, I want to catalog what gear was needed and what ended up being dead weight. I was out about an hour and 15 minutes and varied the run between easy jogs, fast strides, stumbling all over the place which caused laughs of joy, making snow angels on the ice down at the lake, and attempting to shovel a porch only abandoning the job after a few minutes because it was a big job and I was starting to cool off i.e. freeze my sweat.

1. wool blend socks - kept the toes toasty and dry
2. running sneaks - ok. didn't keep the socks dry
3. long johns - good for first half of run, then an excess of heat
4. wind pants -great, especially because it was snowing
5. long sleeve mid-weight shirt - wonderful
6. mid-weight fleece - a bit much (though nice for the first few minutes of warm up). ended up taking it off and wrapping around waist
7. t-shirt - good layer
8. wind breaker - excellent, esp for pockets to hold excess items
9. eye protectors - were from my eye surgery. good for keeping falling snow out of my eyes so I could have them open but ultimately useless upon fogging up
10. scarf - great for assisting breathing but added to fog problem and didn't stay situated
11. watch - useless. a few minutes into run it was doing a crazy dance on the screen. Has since died. RIP.
12. rubber duckie - unnecessary in some hearts but who else would have witnessed the snow angel?! Also, it was there to talk to any woodland creatures we came across. Its not safe to run alone at night
13. beanie with chin strings - yes!
14. gaitors - WONDERFUL! kept the ankles from unwanted snow trap
15. strings to tie gaitors under my shoes - priceless and cheap
16. headlamp - nice at times but unnecessary since snow reflected plenty of light to see the basics
17. energy - obviously
18. adventurous spirit - don't leave home without it

All this reviewing is getting me in the mood. Excuse me, time to go suit up!


(try to overlook the fact that my nose looks Gi-ginormous here!)

remembering why

I was very encouraged to be a part of the Jr. High Retreat, one of camp's biggest non-summer events of the year (actually its comparable to a full week of camp), this past weekend and wanted to share with you some direct feedback I received from the youth leaders. It was a reminder of what camp means to the kids, how God uses this setting to connect with his children and that camp shows people that being a Christian is FUN!

And let me tell you… these kids were EXCITED to come. One kid’s mom told him that Wednesday was too early to pack for the weekend. Another kid broke his foot a few weeks ago and after not being allowed to even sign up, begged his parents to let him come… and that he was indeed going to play Gold rush in the snow! (don’t think that happened but I did play some Dutch Blitz with him). One group wanted to add another girl and I said there are no more beds – someone would have to sleep on the floor and they’d be really cramped. She still signed up and brought her own fold up cot. Another girl had a hard time sleeping the days leading up to retreat saying “I’m just so Excited!” During check-in between 7-8 pm I ran from the Upper Room to the office to make a copy and the noise level of kids jabbering caught me off guard!

The 3 sessions focused on the book of Jonah.
1. Attitudes (we all need to hear this one J),
2. Like Jonah, we all have a “Nineveh” God is calling us to – what is yours?,
3. Monday is what counts, don’t fall flat on your face, go live it out.

One Jr. youth group wants to start helping to lead Sunday morning services. Another group wants to help decide what is taught at Sunday school & have their current leaders teach. One youth leader told his kids tomorrow (Monday) is a special day. They asked if it was Pastor’s Day & if he was coming to their schools? He said no, they are the “pastors”, the ones who are to be the light to their fellow classmates. THEY can do something.

Still other leaders were telling me this Jr. High Retreat at Camp Hebron is THE big event of the year the Jr. high kids look forward to and get excited about every year because it is a lot of ‘firsts’ for them – first weekend away with a speaker, first time to climb the rock wall, maybe first time away overnight from parents, etc.

One youth leader’s youth group is made up of troubled kids he gets referred that are in trouble at the public school where he is a counselor. Two little boys he brought have rough, unstable home lives – abuse, no dads, no bed at home, etc. They thrived on the activities and were even attentive during sessions (under the watchful eye of their leader) and came up with good and practical ideas during small group discussions. For one weekend at least, these boys had a bed to sleep in and were shown nothing but the Father’s love and heard of the good life Jesus wants them to have.

All of these conversations reminded me of why we do what we do at camp. In your own little part of the world, consider how to do your best (both in and outside of your ‘job description’) to help create an environment for God to move. Ask the Lord on a personal level what is the Nineveh He’s calling you to. And come see for yourself the joy and impact these weekends have.

very bun-y

Saw this on a friend's facebook notes.

Subject: Sad News

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Born and bread in Minnesota, Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half- baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

TLC

i think my car is breaking. More than likely just from a lack of love. The power steering has been demanding I use power to make the car steer. After awhile, it starting making a churning sound when I would turn to the left. Uh-oh, that's not a good sound. And what did I do about it? Nothing. Except cringe. And feel more embarrassed and a bit helpless whenever I had a passenger. Which isn't often and also maybe why it took so long for any action to correct the problem to happen. Oh I did put "look up online power steering location" on my mental to-do list. And eventually "buy power steering fluid" made it on my to-buy list.
Add to the concern, the check engine light has been coming on. :(

On a trip to Wally World I found some power steering fluid. Then I looked up online where to find the blasted power steering tank so I could check its level (I DID look for this months ago but couldn't find it). Finally found it, wow, right in the front passenger corner under the hood. It got a much needed drink. Fingers crossed that I didn't cause super serious damage. It hasn't been churning as much when turning left but its not completely gone. And I think its turning a bit easier but needs to be checked again to see if the level went down again.

Conclusion: it really would be nice to have a man in my life to keep me accountable to make these maintenance issues get taken care of sooner. I try not to utilize my mechanic more than necessary because he tends to want something from my check book in return. :)

Oddities

So many quirks about the gym.

I already mentioned my thoughts on watching food shows while working out. (Maybe we need to define the definition of "working out")


Then there's parking as absolutely close to the door as possible. Hello. You're at the gym. To workout. To burn calories. Parking to reduce walking (which burns calories) is probably part of the reason you even need the gym membership. Because you don't take advantage of opportunities to walk for health at other times. At least I try to park 2 spaces from the door, even if the closest one is available. (haha, as if that's noble.)
Alas, I don't really judge as I do it too. ESPECIALLY when it's cold. and dark. and wintry wind. ew. I've become some what of a pansy fair-weather runner. That is why I joined the gym. Limit this silly 16 layers for winter runs business. Funny thing the gym manager said to me in the fall when I started hittin the gym after crazy summer season when I become as scarce at the gym as a school boy at bath time. He said - "You're probably the only gym member who looks better not having been to the gym in months." (Touche' summer of playing WPSL, running all spring and being so busy at summer camp actually sitting down to eat a full meal is a luxury.)


And how about the massive amount of motivation it takes just to get to the gym. Stay cuddled in my sheets a few more minutes or roll out of bed, change, get in the car and drive 5 miles to work out. I can go later today. Or tonight even. UM... if I had a dollar for the times I chose the first option, I'd have me-self a wee little nest egg.

Conclusion: keeping oneself in shape is mind over matter. Oft times, the mind loses. And shape is up for your own definition. Main thing - view your body as a temple, to be kept pure and holy, as a vessel available for the Lord to use however he sees fit. THAT, is the calling of brothers and sisters.