Febrauary 16, 2013

Yikes... neglect is what my blog has experienced.  I've neglected it for lack of time.  Today I only write because I'm at Camp and our registration software is down- giving me no task to complete.  And for a moment I've remembered, "Ahhh... yes, I have a blog." 

In 5 minutes I'll get up from my chair and head to consume lunch in Camp's cafteria.  After scarfing down my food, I'll head to clothe myself in winter warmth.  I'll trek to the ski shop and put on my board.  I'll rent snowboards until a beginner walks in- or in many cases, several beginners.  Together, we will head to the hill where I'll do my best to teach them how to relax with 2 feet on one board.  It will take time.  It always does.  They'll fall again and again.  But if they have determination, they will listen to my voice and practice doing the very things their brain opposes.  And they'll learn to board.  They will have fun and shoot for bigger hills and faster speeds. 

I have 4 hours with them.  How can I share my life with them?  How can I encourage them to live life with determination.  In the same way they'll struggle to learn snowboarding, if they've given their lives to Christ, they will struggle to live their lives for him.  Their hearts and mind will tell them false things about Him and they'll be prone to doubting who He is.  They'll battle this.  But if they listen to His Word and practice doing the very things their flesh opposes, they will learn the purity of faith and perserverance.  They'll have eternal joy and shoot for "bigger hills and faster speeds."

Life... YOUR CRAZY!

Lord, help me to use my time wisely.  When I'm swamped, teach me not to put my time with YOU on the back burner.  Teach me to prioritize it over all else.  My heart wants this and knows I desparately need this, but my brain pressures me to fulfill various obligations and responsibilities -even those that I place on myself.

I want to be faithful in prayer.  Teach me to make this more of a daily discipline. 

I love you!

Awed by Jesus...

"My happiness is found in less
Of me and more of You.
I have found the answer is
To love You and be loved by You alone.

You crucify me and the world to me
And I will only boast in You.

I'm so satisfied
At the thought of You
Growing up in me,
Covering everything"


There is nothing more worth living for than Jesus Christ.  Without Him my soul would be black and my future depressing and dark.  Without His grace... His love...without His righteousness and purity... I would be entirely lost.  Hopeless and helpless. 

He gave me joy and it continues pouring.  He solidifies within my heart His truth.  He calms my doubts and quiets my fears.  Anything and everything pure inside of me is on account of Him. And nothing more.   

He protects me from the one who's tried and continues in vain to destroy me.  When I wander, He calls me back.  When I fall into sins, He convicts me and delivers me from their grip.

I love Him.  I worship Him.  He is my God.

5/1/2012 - What a day!!

Yesterday was quite the experience.  We heard weather updates (hypothetical thoughts) on the weather channel about storms that were coming in.  Yikers!  I say yikes because Jason and Brent recently tore down our house entry, put it up on blocks, completed laying and supporting the floor and for the past week it's been sitting like that exposed!  No walls- no roof.  Why?  With so much going on at camp, there just isn't a lot of time to pour into it.  Tarps were our only protection in keeping the rain out and, let me tell you, they didn't accomplish their job so well.  Soo... Monday night Brent came to help Jason "finish" the entry.  Their lofty goal was to have it entirely completed- roof and all- by Monday evening.  Not so!  However, they did get all the walls up and doors framed and did a great job.  Yesterday we had to (and by we, I mean Jason and I) completely build the roof- framing, ice guard, & tar paper. 

Jason was stressed- probably more stressed that I was his help!  It was difficult leveling everything out, but by 4pm FINALLY, we were ready to lay the sheeting on the roof.  We wondered, "How in the universe will the two of us do this?"  It would require one of us to sit on the roof tress, while the other lifted the large sheet of plywood over their head and up to the other person.  Yikes!  Before starting, we realized we were missing some metal roofing hangers and had to make a run to C & D (1 minute away).

God timing is PERFECT because right away, when we got back, a friend (a tall, strong guy named Todd), showed up unexpectedly to help!  And 5 minutes after that another friend, Brent, showed up to help too!  Wow...  We hadn't asked either of them to help and completely believe this was God's provision.  The timing was dead on.  He KNEW we needed them!  Within an hour and a 1/2, we had the sheeting up. 

Stapling and nailing the ice guard and tar paper down didn't take too long.  I can say with 100% certainty that I'm learning far more about construction than I ever imagined I would.  I can also say... it's fun! 

Last night we got hit by a storm hard.  We were nervous this morning as we drove to the house to check on it.  Would the entry still be standing?  Would the tar paper be torn off?  Would our work hold up?  And if it didn't hold up in the storm, what on earth did we do wrong? (as far as we knew we took EVERY precaution and step necessary- talked to construction guys, read construction books, had knowledgeable men working on it with us).

To our relief, it was perfectly intact- you couldn't even tell a storm had hit!  No leaks.  Nothing.  I suppose this is the purpose of a roof, but I guess when you build it yourself there's always the question...

4/25/2012

Oh Heavenly Father, Your command seems so astronomical, "Go and make disciples of all the nations."  Sometimes I feel like I'm trying but is it amounting to much?  Other times I fear I'm not trying enough.  I've known so many who have happily proclaimed a faith in You, but a few years down the road they've turned away completely.  I know others who proclaim Your name but their lives reflect the world more than Your Word.  My sphere of influence seems so minimal.  And my sinful nature and flesh lacks what it takes to be all that I desire for You.  It breaks my heart to see so many hurting youth.  And to see them chasing down worldly pleasures above Your heart.  It angers me to see satan's hold on their lives and the deception they've bought into.  You've asked me to pray, and I won't stop.  But I need Your strength and patience.  I think back to my younger years and of how patient You were with me.  I failed again and again and again, convinced You were angry at me for my sin.  Convinced I couldn't "make the cut."  But You were patient and throughout the years and every circumstance You pursued me until You revealed Your love to me in 2003 and opened wide my eyes to Your blood shed on the cross for my wickedness.  I found freedom in You for the first time.  You were so patient with me though I didn't deserve it.  And in the same way you're patient with everyone.  Keep transforming hearts, Father, and give me the wisdom to see that even when things aren't on my time frame, You're drawing people to Yourself.  Help me to be faithful in prayer and in what I can do for You.  I love You.

3/21/2012- Progress!

Progress is being made on the house.  Yesterday the guys came out to raise our roof a foot (it was 7 ft.).  What a process!!  They continue working today.  We're praying and trusting God protects them.  This job has been done before but it's unusual.  Some may call us crazy, but we don't think so.  God provided this house through much prayer and very inexpensively.  We are putting some $ into "re-doing" it, but what we're contributing is so minimal to what we could've paid buying a "move-in ready" home  and quite truthfully, there aren't any homes in this area (in our price range) that are "move-in ready."  The labor is mostly being done by us.  We so desire to be good stewards of all God has provided. 

In today's culture people are accustomed to purchasing a "move-in" ready home and taking out a loan for it.  Many years ago, it was more common for families to build their own home.  That's just how it was done.  Neither avenue is wrong.  We're just taking the "old" route I guess. 

Time tends to be a major factor people don't build or remodel much.  We freely admit our time has been crunched lately.  Daytimes are spent at Camp involved in ministry there.  Evenings off are spent working on the house.  Day's off are spent working on the house.  But without kids yet, it's a feasible task.  And one that Jason's enjoying.  He's also enjoying the "man-time" with others who have so graciously sacrificed their time. 

I will post more pictures soon.  It'll be interesting to hear your reactions :) 

Once we're moved out in 2 weeks, the stress will majorly lighten.

3/19/2012

Oh wow, my blog is getting away from me.  Really, TIME is getting away from me.  It's not easy for me to remember to update this thing.  A lot has happened since the last post.  I typed it in the middle of my dad's crisis.  God is so faithful and good.  His plan is perfect.  The day my dad had to leave his house, he got a full time job!!  And it's such a great job for him.  We made it over that bump in the road.  Onto the next!

Since then we've been so busy here at Camp, we bought a house (God's provision), we're revamping it, and needing to move out of our current rental home in a couple weeks.  Whew!  A lot to take in.  Each morning I wake up, "Okay, craziness again.  Prep yourself Spring!"  Next week all the staff here are headed to Camp's staff retreat at Fort Wilderness.  This will be 3+ REFRESHING days of fellowship and meetings surrounding the ministry here.  I'm so looking forward to it.   Then Jason's parents are coming to visit the week before we have to be out of our current rental home on April 6th.  I hope they're ready to jump on the craziness wagon with us!  We'll appreciate their help with the house and packing.

Today my agenda is... enter camper registrations & get caught up here in the office, then grab some boxes and get a-packin!  Maybe I'll walk over to the new house to help Jason sometime after 5pm.  Packing is never a fun job.  It's especially a downer when you're trying to shift through your stuff and someone elses.  The job becomes more time consuming and feels less productive no matter how much you accomplish.  Jason's job is the new house, mine is to pack the old :)

Something I'm thankful for today?  My health.  Our health!  Each day I wake up and I'm able to breathe and live comfortably.  I don't take this for granted.  Any day it could be taken away- I have zero control over my health.  But how can I use what I've been given for God's glory?  This is the question I will continually ask myself.  This is the question I ask myself today.