Two perplexing issues to me

Two things in life I don't believe I have ever fully understand.

1. Jazzercise or Aerobics (can you see ME doing that in the picture?)

I don't remember all the circumstances around it but in high school for a period of time one winter when it was too cold to workout outside one of our coaches thought doing jazzercise/aerobics would be a great idea. Hold the phone. I did not do jazz to anything. I refused to do it. This particular coach thought she would show me who was boss. I was sitting a chair in the back while everyone did that mess. I sat there shaking my head. Not gonna do it! She tells me to come to the front row. Not expecting my surprise. I had no problem coming to the front row. And I brought my chair with me. Sat down right in front of her. Assuring her again I did not do that and she wasn't going to convince me otherwise. I sat in the chair the remainder of that class. I do believe that was the last time she brought a jazzercisse video to athletics class.

Yes, I'm sure there would have be athletic benefits to it. But what you need to remember is that I did not want to do that. Period. End of story. Pretty sure if you were in my mom's office as she is reading this you'd probably see her laughing out loud! She raised me, she knows! If you could see my dad reading this from his recliner he's just shaking his head and belly laughing. He raised me, he knows! (Not to mention the fact mom says I got this trait from him). :) There was absolutely nothing in that coaches power to get me to do that. There was no threat in the world that would have worked. I had it settled in my mind I was not going to participate in that. Hence, dragging my chair to the front row to sit down.

Which leads me to the second thing in life I'll never understand.

2. Obedience

As shown by my very true first story obedience has never been real high on my spiritual gift survey shall we say. Pretty sure if Seiring is reading this she too is getting a good laugh. Seeing how she drove 4 hours to my college graduation yes to show her support but more so to make sure I really did graduate. She knew this mindset in me that often got in the way. I know people who have no problem doing exactly what they're told when they are told to do it. Whatever gene that is I'm pretty sure mine has gone dormit or has just plain disappeared. I have questions. Lots and lots of questions. I have an insatiable desire to understand. I didn't see how jazzercise was going to benefit me. Thus, I wasn't going to do it.

If you can convince me that something is beneficial and worthwhile then you'll never have to think twice about my obedience. It will be done in a heart beat. But at the ounce of a question you better take time to help me understand before I pull the chair to the front row and sit down.

Tonight is one of those obedient issues.

I've gone back to college for a Master's in Biblical Counseling. I pretty much hated every minute of my academic career after they removed nap time come 1st grade. It was shot for me. I made it through elementary due to recess time. I made it through middle school and high school because you had to go to class to play sports. I made it through college because I was too scared to call my Mama to tell her I had dropped out. Now onto my Masters!? What?!?

That's what I think almost everyday that I have to pull out my books to work on my classes. I have nine hours and it's midterms this week. (Yes, I am fully aware I should be studying and not blogging but I needed a break). Tonight I was reminded again about this thing we call obedience. I do not want to be doing school. I want to be hanging out with people. I want to be watching TV or movies. I want to be doing something.... ANYTHING... other than sitting by myself working on SCHOOL! But it is for the sake of obedience that I am doing school. I do not know for sure what I have gone back but I simply know it is something the Lord drew my heart to do. It is out of a heart of obedience I will continue this scholastic endeavor and lonely nights for the next 3.5 semesters. Hopefully in that time frame God will show me what this is all about before I pull my chair to the front row leaving my books in the back and say forget it, I'm done!

Maybe one of God's major points is just to teach me another lesson in obedience even when I don't understand. If only I could've learned this lesson years ago. Perhaps my younger years could have proved less stressful to those around me.

Even though I will never understand jazzercise nor will I ever participate in it I hope God continues to teach me about obedience and the joys it truly can bring.

May-October 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sorry for the delayed life happenings. It's been a busy 5 months to say the least.

- A friend's little girl experienced a moment of faith through baptism.

- Summer staff came to work with us for 10 weeks and we had a great time of orientation!

- The garden grew some serious beans!!

- Ran away to Boston to see best friend from big VA and her husband. Arrived Friday around lunch and departed Sunday around 11am. Quick but great trip! Saw Fenway Park, REAL whales, Cheers Pub, and lots of Boston history! Road the subway EVERYWHERE.

- Got kicked out of my basement apartment. :(

- Getting a house built for me on campus complete with cool wrap around front porch! :)

I think that hits most of the highlights over the past few months. The summer came and went. Lots of hours but saw the Lord do many things through many different people. The bug isn't working so hot right now but haven't had time to check into the problem. One problem is I ripped the drive side door off and now it won't shut. You have to hold it shut to drive down the road. So, the fact it doesn't want to start right now is not too big of a deal.

Another day...

Continuing from yesterday...

I thought of a verse for The Gambler that was left out.

Know when to hold'em

know when to fold'em

know when to walk away

know when to run

know when to laugh

know when to speak

know when to smack them

right in the mouth...

"smack'em in the mouth" is a favorite phrased used by one of the cooks that works with us during the summer time. I know, I know... But don't I work at a Christian camp? Yes, I do! That's the beauty of it. We do all love the Lord dearly but we also love to laugh and have fun too. Consequently sometimes we say silly things like "smack'em in the mouth."

Speaking of laughing, speaking and smack'em in the mouth. That makes me think of one of my all time favorite actors. Tyler Perry. I needed a good laugh tonight so I looked up some of his stuff on youtube. HILARIOUS!

The first clip is a phrase I think of often... Jesus just saved yo life. Oh the things I would do and say if it were not for my Jesus. I do and say enough with him in my life. I'd be in trouble without him.

The second clip made me laugh so hard I cried the first time I ever saw it. I think I might have wet myself a little I was laughing so hard. "They don't know me... I'm old school. I will beat them and ask questions later!" That's just funny.

The third clip is one for my mom. It is her personal favorite!

The thing about TV shows and movies is our ability to relate to characters. I think that's what draws me to Madea is she laughs, she speaks, and she smack'ems in the mouth! Cracks me up! But of course what is okay for entertainment value is not always deemed to be appropriate in the real world.

I do hope you enjoy and get a good laugh out of these!

Before you think my video choice is completely trash check out this next link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSsRZE8aPjg&feature=related

Sorry, but it wouldn't let me post the video on here. It's really a good song. And a reminder that we do have a Father who listens intently to our hearts. He is not distant even in difficult times.

*Disclaimer: the Bible does not condone smacking people in the mouth. Unless you were my mom growing up. :) Haha! I do apologize if you find these clips offensive. But they do make me laugh out loud. And I still love Jesus while I'm laughing at this stuff!

Oopsy...

It would appear it has been about 4 months since my last post. My sweet sister in law reminded me of that on my recent trip to Texas.

Hear me out before you pass judgement on my song selection.

*Disclaimer* I don't drink, smoke, or gamble. Nor do I believe the best thing in life is dying in your sleep. Those reasons aren't why this song has been on my mind.

This song first off makes me laugh. It's an old classic country tune! I do find some realness in knowing when to hold'em and knowing when to fold'em and simply knowing when to walk away or knowing when to run.

Life is an interesting thing.

The hurdles we face. The joys we overlook.

I've started with my Master's work again taking 9 hours online. Perhaps not my brightest moment. I'm a couple of weeks into and pretty much overwhelmed by two of the three classes. We'll see how the next couple of weeks pan out.

The construction on my new place of residency continues to go on. The move in date is still yet to be decided.

Work is work. Some people like what we do. Some people don't. I suppose that happens everywhere.

I noticed a couple of leaves fly by my window today while I was in the office which means the tress should be getting colorful pretty soon.

For all three people who read this and don't have daily contact with me now you know the short version of where life currently has me. Trying to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away and know when to run. That sums it up pretty well for right now.

The Beauty of a Child...

That picture is not of any baby that I know just one I found online. The past two evenings I've had the joy of holding a newborn for a bit. A friend of mine here in Tennessee has a baby that is all of 9 days old today. For the life of me I have absolutely no understanding of how anyone could ever not want a baby. I realize they can get expensive and cause a good amount of stress in the life of parents. I realize it's probably a little scary to take one home from the hospital. But how in the world after looking at one do you just not want one?

I've found myself both last night and tonight not just holding the baby. I like to hold her in front of me and just look at her. The tiny hands and feet. The eyes, ears, nose, and mouth that are so precious. The innocence. The dependency to survive both physically and emotionally upon those that surround them. It just fascinates me.

The reality that the Lord knew completely of that child long before she was born. The reality that God formed that baby in her mother's womb. The reality of God's design to give women the ability to grow a child within their own body. How do you see that happen over a period of nine months and not believe that there is a God?

The beauty of a child is one that always has and I guess probably always will make my heart melt.

Still here

I am still alive! Our staff has arrived for the summer. I've tried to take lots of pictures only to come to my computer and find out that my USB ports are apparently worn out. Little inconvenient but not a complete catastrophe. I can still download them somewhere else and put them on my computer through a CD that hooks up through a firewire.

I'm sure that was far more information than anyone really cared about.

We have 7 staffers currently. Five will stay the entire summer and two of them will be leaving at the end of June. As with each year they are all different. We've had a good time of orientation with them and continue to work out some of the odds and ends of what we expect of them throughout this summer.

I had to go out and till the garden today and for the first time since I cut my hair I actually pulled it into two lower pigtails to get it off my neck. That's a big step for my hair!

I haven't completely figured out yet how to make time to blog through this fun time of year. Hopefully by the end of the summer I will have something figured out!

Physically there is much going on around here.

Mentally it seems hard to make the mind slow down this time of year. There are so many things the Lord brings before us. Yes, we get staff in to help us do some of the ministries. Honestly though we believe one of the biggest task for our staff is to get to know Jesus more while they are here. We take that responsibility very seriously because if they walk away knowing Jesus better than when they showed up here there is nothing better in life we could have taught them. Nothing will help them go further in life more than knowing their King.

Spiritually it's a war zone around here. We want to see God move through this camp, this ministry and our lives. For every prayer and desire to see God move is an equal and opposite motive from satan to desire things around here to crumble. He's rather vicious in his attacks too. This song below is one of my favorites by Rich Mullins. I love the simplicity of the lyrics.

I'm the type of person who likes to understand why. When I go through times where my life doesn't make sense those are very frustrating times for me. It's in those moments I have to go back to the root of God. I have to find those things about Him that I do understand to help me understand my own life better. In the midst of that searching this song often becomes my prayer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Busy days...

Sorry, I don't have any personal updates at the time.

You can check out my work blog to understand why!