I'm intrigued...

I recently began reading a book called "Behind Enemy Lines."  I'm not typically a reader of historical books simply because I don't make the time, but I've really enjoyed it.  It's made up of a collection of letters sent home from soldiers in various wars throughout American history.  It's very enlightening to hear their experiences first-hand and their thought processes in light of the horror they witnessed and the loneliness they felt.  It's given me a newfound appreciation for history because it makes it come to life.  I remember more quickly that they were normal people with normal thoughts and struggles.  Too often I look at history as "old stories," rather than embracing the reality of what those individuals faced and battled. 

Oh today...

Woke up this morning... first day in several that it was cool with a sweet breeze blowing through our curtains.  Mmm... a day with little stickiness and humidity.  As typical, cereal made a great breakfast- Grape Nut Flakes, that is.  Reading the Bible in quiet on our couch is something that's precious and doesn't happen often on work days.  A walk to the Post Office to mail "lost" shoes to my nieces was a nice check off my list.  A trek to True Value scored a nice deal on Ortho bug (ant) killer.  $18.99 with a $9 mail-in rebate + a $5 off coupon = 1.5 gallons for 4 bucks...!  A long conversation with a good friend back home was special and lunch was string cheese, cherries, a NutriGrain bar and fruit snacks.  I made a promise to Jason I'd get our entry grouted this week.  So what do I do?  Wait till the last day of the week to start it, of course!  But accomplish that task I did, while listening to Taylor Swift on Pandora (yes, I like her music).  And now?  Jason's home and we relax together and get ready to take a walk.  Brats make for a nice, easy menu tonight. 

Good day home...

Mondays...

On Mondays I recently started hanging out with Junior High girls from our youth group.  After school, they walk on over to our place (one of the benefits of being within a few blocks of the middle and high school!).

Typically, there are about 8 girls that come, full of giggles and energy after sitting at a desk all day.  I wasn't sure what to expect going into this... I knew I'd received nudgings from the Holy Spirit to do this.  It was a step of obedience.  God's Wod has been "sharper than a two-edged sword" in my life.  When I rebelled against Him and preferred to do my own thing to satisfy my own pleasures and lusts, I was aware of what His Word said.  Often times, I ignored it and still do, but it never fails to pierce and shape my mind and heart.  It's imperative to be in God's Word, as His children.  He reveals Himself to us through it.  And Satan, our accuser, throws lies at us constantly- we have to be equipped with the "sword" He's given us. 

I want these girls to be equipped.  I want their lives to be "built on the rock," rather than on sand.  I know that pain, pride, sin, lies, and trials will test their faith, and they will have a choice- a choice to walk the narrow, difficult path of obedience and faith; or to do what's right in their own eyes.  And I pray they choose faith and obedience... there's so much reward in it.

And so on Mondays they come... and they guzzle lemonade like they've been in the dessert for weeks.  And I limit the cookies they devour so they'll still have room for supper.  And we laugh, we memorize Scripture together, we play Bible games, share stories, read the Bible together, they ask questions, and we pray.  I hope it's strengthening them in their faith and that God's using me to bless them.

They've been a huge blessing to me.  I think as adults we can be so guarded.  We guard our tongues and our actions; we can lose our sense of humor and our transparency.  We think we have to have it all together.  We don't open ourselves up to others and don't "expect the best of each other" (1 Corinthains 13:7).  It's refreshing to hear their honesty... to witness their trust.  To listen to their laughter over things I've forgotten to laugh about. 

But my heart is reminded of the struggles they face at school.  It brings back memories of my middle school days- the days I'd rather forget- days filled with bullies, the obsession over clothes, peer pressure, popularity, egos, the list goes on... They deal with tough things that could potentially eat them alive.

As adults, are we coming alongside them?  Are we discipling our youth?  Are we letting them ask questions and willing to give them honest answers?  Are we challenging them with God's Word and showing them Christ's love?  This isn't a job just for youth pastors or camp staff... it's a priviledge and opportunity we have as followers of Christ.

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...