A Girl and Her Guitar

Sister and I needed some bonding this week. So I took my rock-star sister, her guitar and my camera to the HF Estate. I don't have a lot of experience with photography but it was fun! She's such a goof (in a good way of course!) and we had a lot of laughs.
There are sure to be plenty more in the future, so stay posted :)

Roses are Red...

The day of my birth was celebrated earlier this week and here is a photo my biggest surprise :) A stunningly beautiful bunch of roses from my favorite young man! I'm afraid to imagine how much they must have cost, but I do love them.

They're so beautiful! This photo does such a bad job of showing them off, but it's all I've got

Much Needed 'Snippets'

I love how God works.
Sometimes I don't recognize it at first--actually, I probably still miss a lot of things--but I love looking back and seeing how God placed little things in my life/week/day that helped me get through. This past week felt longer than most (for a collection of reasons), but every time I thought I was about to break down someone gave me a hug, or shared a laugh, or left me an encouragement note. I would not have survived without these little 'snippets' of love, and I am so thankful for them!
The need for Christians to love each other was emphasized again in my life--another reminder to think of others before myself and remember that when I am feeling down (or even if I'm feeling great) there is someone else who needs to be encouraged and loved.
The easiest way to show how much we love God is to love His people.

...He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." (John 21:16b)

Trailblazer Hour

This poem has been on my mind all week, I think it's appropriate after a week with nine Trailblazers (7-9 year olds). I was blessed with another great group of beautiful girls. This age group was wonderful in the fact that they were willing to love me almost instantly--which made my job much easier! And we played a lot of games that required imagination and a sense of humor! It was so fun to have my pathetic ideas jumped on by these little girls who actually enjoyed them!
I love those girls and I have locked them up forever "in the round-tower of my heart"(read below). I miss them a lot, but I admit, I'm glad I don't have so many under my wing right now! It's not easy to be the instant mother of 9 little ones...

Anyway, this poem is called "The Children's Hour", and it was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the early 1800s.

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

You could scramble an egg on the sidewalk

Wow, it is HOT today! I was walking to breakfast early this morning and was almost knocked over from surprise by the heat! I usually walk around in the morning with a light sweater--but not today! Even before 9:00 am I was trying to think of something cooler that I could put on instead of soccer shorts and a T-shirt.
It's amazing how powerful God is. The heat of the day isn't even here yet and I am already sluggish and lazy (shamefully so!). The sun is so far away that it takes somewhere around 8 years for the light/heat to reach us. I can't even imagine the power of the sun close up, let alone the God who controls it!

Sunscreen is a necessity today! Drink plenty of water and stay cool

"All the Girls in the Bathroom Talking...

...who they gonna take to the Sadie Hawkins...?" If you are not familiar with that song then I am very sorry.
"Sadie Hawkins" by Reliant K was the song that my senior high girls and I performed for the rest of the campground. If you know me very well at all, then you know that performing is entirely outside of my comfort zone. So when I heard that every cabin was going to have to perform a lip-sync I was not too thrilled. In fact, my attitude towards the entire affair was inexcusably bad. Thankfully God blessed me with a wonderful group of girls and we ended up having a blast (even me)! My girls really stepped up to the plate and took charge of this project! They (eventually) picked a song and then took off with it! While I still cringe whenever I see the video and have no desire to do it ever again, I am so thankful that God provided the motivation and the love that I needed in order to do something like that for my girls.
There were so many things during the past week that had a similar pattern. The first night I can remember laying in bed and praying most of the night. I didn't think the girls liked me at all and I was already discouraged about being able to unify the group in any way. But again, God provided everything (why do I still doubt?!?). My girls ended up clicking really well in the end, and even the encouragement that I needed came just in time through surprise letters, a much needed hug or just an extra smile. It was wonderful--I am so blessed!
Praise God!

www.somersetbeach.org

Sleep-Away-Camp

Sleep Away Camp—or should it be, 'lack-of-sleep-while-away-at-camp'?

My mental clock has officially switched to camp-time. I have been awake since about 6am and unable to fall back to sleep. This is not exactly habitual for me. I'm more the type to sleep for 24 hours rather than not be able to sleep...
Oh, silliness

Just Call Me "Gimpy"

Unfortunately, I've had a small 'challenge' of my own to face this past weekend. After watching the England / USA world cup soccer game on Saturday, the ex-soccer players in the group couldn't resist playing a quick game of pick-up (myself included). It has been a few years since I've played, but I was thankful that some of the footwork came back after a few minutes of messing with the ball. It was a lot of fun, and we had some good laughs.
However, one of my past specialties did not return as quickly as the others: hopping over a slide tackle. I had never been hit by a single slide tackle--that is, before Saturday at 8:10pm. I was always able to see them out of the corner of my eye and hop just in time to get out with the ball on the other side. But on Saturday, one of my dear friends--who shares the same competitive nature that I am guilty of--slide tackled and accidentally hit me instead of the ball. I was down instantly, and a sprained ankle has been my constant companion ever since. But thanks to great friends, prayer support from home, and God of course, I have been healing quickly and even ran during the "Amazing Race: SBC addition" this evening (which may have been a bad idea, but it was fun).
The swelling is still pretty bad, and after the race I acquired a new shade of purple, but the pain has decreased to a point that I can get around without too many breaks or piggy-back rides. Though I'm afraid to say that I look like an obese penguin when try to walk! haha
At least I am able to provide some entertainment for everyone :)

SBC--Friends and Lake Michigan

Okay, so we're already into the second week of camp, but I haven't had much time to contribute to the blog. That might not be a good excuse, but it's all I've got.
We were camping on Lake Michigan for the first two days, which is absolutely breath taking! It was a great time to get to know everyone on the counseling staff(- 2). We were also given some serious God-time, which was wonderful! Just listening to God--something that has been lacking in a bad way in my life. Who knew that you had to listen to God to hear Him?? (enter sarcasm here)
Hopefully I will have photos of that part of my adventure up soon. Unfortunately I don't have my own laptop here, or the cable that transfers my photos, so it might not happen for a while.
We (the counseling staff) also had the privilege of participating in all of the games / challenges that our campers will do in the next few weeks. That was a blast, and I only wish we could do more! We work well together (in my opinion anyway) and I just enjoy being around everyone on our team. I am so blessed to have each one of them!