My Dear Sister

Today was a sad day for me. My dear sister Penny and her husband David left for Ukraine this afternoon. She told me she was sad but that once she got on her way she would be fine. And she said that being sad didn't mean she didn't want to go. She was looking forward to being back to the home she has made there in Kharkov. Finally, she told me that she thought it would be easier to leave her boys once they were both married. It wasn't true.

Penny has been such an inspiration to me. She takes the hardships of life in Ukraine with much ease and grace. I know it hasn't always been as easy as she makes it look, but God has been gracious to her in giving her what we might think of as a "pioneer spirit." She has been able to go to the "frontier" and make a beautiful life. I have had only peeks at the sacrifices she has made throughout the years she has been in Ukraine. I feel that I don't recognize them or acknowledge them enough.

When I was able to go to visit her five years ago I got a small taste of her life there. We ended up in several circumstances that I found very challenging. I told her that being there was really hard for me in so many ways. I tell you again... she made it look easy.

She has been my dear sister and friend for all these years. I have been so thankful that she has been here for me in some of the most difficult days of my life. She has been a strong arm to lean on.

God bless you, Penny. I love you very much.

What I've Been Reading

I was roaming around on Facebook one night, just checking on some of my friends and I came across the profile of J.D. Whitlock. He's married to my dear friend, Jane. As I looked at his profile he described his religious views as "Christian hedonist." Now I was intrigued. What is a "Christian hedonist"? So I began exploring this idea and found a book called Desiring God by John Piper. I ordered the book and that is what I recently finished reading. I intend to share some ideas and quotes from the book here over the next few days. I was afraid if I posted it all at once I would scare off some reluctant readers.


The famous old tradition says:
The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

The Christian hedonist changes this to say:
The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever.

So the premise of this book is that God is most glorified when we seek our own happiness and find it in Him.

The first section was about how God is the happiest being of all because he accomplishes everything He sets out to do. None of His purposes is ever thwarted. Just think how happy that would make a person!


Ps. 33:10-11 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

“And if none of His purposes can be frustrated, then He must be the happiest of all beings."

“Can you imagine what it would be like if the God who ruled the world were not happy? What if God were given to grumbling and pouting and depression, like some Jack-and-the-beanstalk giant in the sky? What if God were frustrated and despondent and gloomy and dismal and discontented and dejected? Could we join David and say, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water”?
“I don’t think so. We would all relate to God like little children who have a frustrated, gloomy, dismal, discontented father. They can’t enjoy him. They can only try not to bother him, or maybe try to work for him to earn some little favor."
(I'm so thankful that we don't have to feel this way about our heavenly Father.)

“The foundation of the happiness of God is the sovereignty of God…He does all that He pleases…He makes all things work together for His glory."

“He has designed from all eternity, and is infallibly forming with every event, a magnificent mosaic of redemptive history. The contemplation of this mosaic (with both the dark and bright tiles) fills His heart with joy.”

I like thinking about this happy Father. I like serving a God like this.

More later...

Suffering

I have been so appreciative of the preaching I have been hearing the past few weeks. I have posted about Andy Stanley and he continues to be a blessing. But two weeks ago Bro. Brian preached on suffering and he had a lot of good thoughts to share. I have been in the midst of suffering the last few months, so it was especially meaningful to me.

Reasons to rejoice in suffering

1. Suffering proves the reality of our faith.
2. Suffering promotes our dependence on God.
3. Suffering purifies our relationship with God.
Just as God used poverty, loneliness, temptation and betrayal in Jesus' life, He uses them in our life.
"The pain passes but the beauty remains."
4. Suffering produces endurance in our lives.
5. Suffering primes us for greater effectiveness.
6. Suffering provokes courage in other believers.
7. Suffering provides opportunities for witness.
8. Suffering prepares us to reign with Christ.

Our response to suffering in the Christian life should not be to avoid it, but to embrace it. We are called to discipleship in the here and now, and to glory later. And there is no comparison be the suffering now and the glory that will be revealed later.

There are ways to equip yourself for suffering. We must be willing to renounce the pleasures of this life, and to see them for what they really are... cheap trinkets compared to the true treasures of God. We should memorize scripture and meditate on it daily, hourly. And we should be dedicated to the Lord. We should be content to be nothing.

Finally, Bro. Brian said that faith marches into the darkness of suffering, holding the hand of the Savior who will never leave us or forsake us, never let us go.

Good thoughts! Good things to remember!

My Diamond Man

Today is our anniversary. We have been married 31 years. Being married is hard. It's good, but it's hard. Today I'm thankful that Phil and I hung on to each other. There were many times when either one of us could have called it quits. Anyone who's been married for awhile can testify to this. But in the end, we were able to stay together for a couple of different reasons.

The first reason we stayed together is a determination to stay committed. In spite of how we might feel at different times, we did not let leaving become an option. We were in it for the long haul. My sister said she thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" But she too has stayed committed to her marriage.

Another reason we have stayed married is because we have learned to forgive each other. Over and over we have had to forgive. Every day. Forgive seventy time seven. And then forgive again.

I am happier in my marriage today than I have ever been. Phil would say the same. We have come to care about each other in ways that we did not and could not in our younger years. We were too immature. Too selfish. Too busy with kids. But now we have time for each other, and we understand how much we need each other. We have learned to speak each other's love language, and we can't believe the difference this one thing has made. (If you haven't learned this one, I say get started on this one today.)

So today I'm thankful for 31 years of "Dancing in the Minefields" with my man, my diamond man.

The Least of These

On Wednesday night I taught a lesson on honoring God and I asked the kids what they would do if Jesus were coming to their house for dinner. They said they would cook and clean and decorate. One boy said, “Cook the food with love.” I said, “What would you cook?” He said, “Angel food cake.”

But then I told them how we honor God when we treat others as if they were Jesus. If we honor the “least of these,” it is the same as honoring Him.

Later, there was not enough room on the vans for all the kids so I took some kids home. They got in my car and one of the boys saw my screen and asked me if I had GPS. He said, “Cool…can we use it?” I said no because it would take too long to put the address in. He said OK.

After I dropped them off, I thought about our lesson. And it occurred to me what I had done. I thought, “What if Jesus had been in my car? What if He had said, ‘Would you show me how that GPS works?’” I knew how I would have responded to Jesus. I would have been delighted to show Him how it works. And I would have been pleased that He had asked.

I was so ashamed. “Whatever you do to the least of these you do to me.” I had just said that to the kids. And now I had done it. I had been too busy and in too big a hurry to be done with them and be on my way home. I had treated them shabbily. I had treated Jesus shabbily.

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I posted this quote a few weeks ago on my FB status.

“Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.”
- Mother Teresa

It really got me to thinking about how I interact with the poor. My first thought was that I don’t interact with them because I was just thinking of poor as the homeless or people who need food from the food bank or things like that. And then I thought, “Duh.” I interact with the poor every day. Eighty percent or more of the kids at school get free or reduced lunch and are considered “poor.” So I have been interacting with the poor on a regular basis over the past 31 years that I have been teaching, and I haven’t really thought of it like that very often.

Another place I interact with the poor is in Kids Club on Wednesday night. Many of the kids who come on the van are poor.
So I have decided that I need to think more about this new perspective. How does God want me to interact with the poor?

I have been to several training sessions at school that have helped us to be aware of poverty as a subculture in our society. These sessions have made me think about how people in poverty view the world, what they value, and some of the unwritten rules that they live by.

Now if I were a missionary in another country, I would be aware of the differences between my culture and the country where I am working. It is the same with the poverty subculture. I have to be aware of the differences. If I were in another country, I would not expect the people there to think like I think, or value what I value. But often, I react the wrong way to those in poverty. I think they should behave differently, or think differently and I can be frustrated by their inability to do so.

So I need to have more patience and love.

It’s a work in progress with me. Awareness is the first step.

Forgiveness

My pastor, Brian Kearns, has been preaching on forgiveness the past couple of weeks. It has truly blessed my heart. Here are a few of the notes I jotted down from the messages.

Forgive seventy times seven. Wow!

The offender cannot calculate the impact of what they have done. Forgive anyway.

There is absolutely no way to fix what has been done. Forgive anyway.

The 5 excuses for carrying unforgiveness in our lives:
1. It is too big.
2. Time will heal it.
3. I'll forgive when they say, "I'm sorry."
4. I can't forgive if I can't forget."
5. They will do it again.

When you harbor bitterness and fail to forgive, you are the one who suffers. It is like drinking poison and expecting the offender to die.

When we forgive, we don't keep bringing the offense up to others; and we don't keep bringing the offense up to ourselves. ( I have been so guilty of doing this.)

Different actions will lead to different feelings. So, we should be kind and tenderhearted. And thus, we become more like Christ.

********************************************************************

The ideas of forgiveness, mercy and grace have been taking on new meaning in my life. I am seeing more and more clearly just what God did for me and what I, in turn, should give to others. I am thankful for all that I am learning. Hard lessons, but very precious.

The Story of Your Life

I can't begin to tell you how blessed I continue to be by the preaching of Andy Stanley. We have decided to listen to one of his sermons each night that we are home. I would challenge you at least once a week to forgo watching one of the many TV programs that you watch and watch Andy and listen to what he has to say about God's Word. I guarantee you that it will do you a lot more good than anything else you planned to watch. You can find him by just googling him or by following these links:

www.northpoint.tv

www.northpoint.org

(For some reason I couldn't activate these links.)

We have been listening to his series called Your Move. It is all about the questions you need to ask yourself when facing big decisions, especially big decisions that you didn't expect to have to be making.

The first question to ask is "Why are you REALLY making this choice?" Andy proceeds to explain how good all people are at selling themselves on ideas when we really want to. He said that lots of people want to follow their hearts. But that is dangerous because Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Our culture and the media often celebrate people who follow their heart. But we must be careful, and as parents we need to address this with our children. Andy says that our hearts are not just dishonest; our hearts are deceitful. Our heart is purposely trying to mix a little truth with some lies so that we will follow it.

The next question Andy says we need to ask when facing big decisions is "What story do we want to tell with our lives?" Every time we come to a decisive point in our lives we are faced with the choice of telling a good story, or telling a bad story. We looked at the life of Joseph. He was put in terrible situations over and over in his life and each time these things happened he chose to trust God, to do his best in the storm. Joseph told a great story with his life.

Every season of our life will eventually be boiled down to a few sentences, probably a couple of paragraphs at the most. Each time we face a trial we get to choose how that trial will be remembered in our lives. How I need to remember this in my life right now!

So wherever you are, whatever season of life you find yourself in...

tell a good story.

He knows...

I have been in Ohio visiting my dear friend, Jane. She is just a few years younger than I am, and I have known her a long time. She was raised in my church, and I have been a friend of her family all these years. Several years ago, I decided to take Will to Washington D.C. for fall break. Jane lived in the DC area and opened her home up to us for a visit. Little did we know that those visits would become an annual affair over the next few years. So we became fast friends.

Jane and her family moved to Ohio last year. Just two weeks ago she found out she has lung cancer, very advanced. So Phil and I took a day to drive up to see her and to let her know that we love her and are praying for her.

She looks so good and healthy and strong (except for the acne-like rash caused by the medicine she is taking). She has a wonderful family…beautiful girls and a great husband. And in all that she’s going through, she ministered to us. She spoke with us at length about the troubles that are facing our two children. We know that she cares so much about them and that she is praying for all of us. We came away blessed to have been with her. And resolved to continue to be there for her and her family.

She told us that she had recently had a dream in which she was going about some ordinary tasks when she opened a door and a tornado sucked her up. And that is what her life feels like right now. She told us that in herself she would just remain in a state of panic and fear, and she would just stay in bed and pull the covers up over her head. But God has been there with enough grace and mercy for each day, and each task. And God has proved Himself enough.

We were pretty frank in our discussion of life and death and the realities of living in faith. We shared some thoughts on different scriptures and how they are playing out in our lives.

Recently I heard Andy Stanley preach about Jesus being our high priest. He read these verses from Hebrews 4:14-15:

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Andy said that Jesus doesn’t just sympathize with our weaknesses; He empathizes, which means He has been there and knows just what that feels like.

In Jane’s case that means He knows what it is like to feel that your days are numbered and your time is short. He knows what it is like to face death. He knows how it feels to not want to go down the road that God has laid before you. “If it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”

He knows what it feels like to face leaving behind friends and family and having concerns about what will happen to them. He said to Peter, “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” He asked John to look after his mother.

He knows…

Yes,He knows…

But we move to verse 16:

16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

And we see this verse playing out in Jane's life too. She has received mercy and she has found grace to help in her time of need.
God is working in all that is happening in Jane's life. And we know that as we desperately plead for her healing, and know that God is able to bring her back to perfect health; we know that whatever happens, He is receiving glory and honor and touching many lives through her.

Praise God for what He is doing and will continue to do.

Back to the Blog

I received some prodding from my dear friend Alyssa this weekend, and so it is time to take to writing again. Things in my personal life are not settled but are calmer so I will try to write consistently.

Today in Sunday School we listened to Andy Stanley. The series of messages that we are working through is called Time.

The lesson we listened to introduces us to the reality that our time is short. In light of this fact we find ourselves asking, "What's the point?" In order to really understand the answer to that question we looked at Psalm 90. This Psalm was written by Moses, who had his own unique perspective on time. After being raised in a palace in Egypt, Moses spent 40 years of his life (the BEST years of his life?) as a shepherd. After these years of nothingness, God called him to be the man He would use to deliver His people from slavery.

First, Moses tells us, "From everlasting to everlasting, you are God." This gives us the bookends for our lives. With God in the middle we find the true purpose of our lives, God and His glory.

Moses spends a lot of time telling us about just how short life really is, and then we come to verse 11. It is a difficult verse but the essence of it says this: If we could really see God as He is, we would give Him the reverence He is due. These words come from a man that had seen more of God's glory than any other human had. So he really knew what he was talking about.

And then we finish up with verse 12. "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Brides know how to number their days. Students with assignments due know how to number their days. People who have terminal diseases learn to number their days. And if we want to be wise, we must learn to number our days aright. We'll see where this leads next week.

Ladies' Bible Conference and More

My last post said I was in the midst of tough times. They continue and that has made it hard to write here. I feel the need to be guarded in what I say and share. Pray for me if you I come to your mind.

That said, I did want to reflect upon the Ladies' Bible Conference I attended at our church this weekend. This is an annual event and one that I have come to look forward to. It was the 20th anniversary, and we honored the past by asking Lois Jane Wallace to speak and sing on Friday night. She has been with us several times, but I thought she was exceptionally good in sharing her testimony in word and song. On Saturday, we moved into the future by hosting a Beth Moore live simulcast. It came off without a hitch, and it was a joy to listen to her share the word with us.



Here are the main points:

Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

1. Kindness is not weakness.
Kindness knows and sees evil but makes the choice to be kind anyway.
2. Kindness is not an action; it is a disposition.
You can fake "nice" but you can't fake kindness.
3. Kindness wears down when we wear down.
4. Kindness looks pain in the face.
5. Kindness is a Savior.
Jesus was the epiphany of God and His kindness.
6. Kindness has good memory.
Rebellion forgets God's goodness.
7. Kindness craves an outlet.
8. Kindness leaves a legacy.

In such a mean world, it is good to spend a whole day thinking about kindness. May it make a difference in my behavior today and hereafter. God be praised!

Tough Times

We all have stuff to deal with. This past week was a hard one for me. Things I can't control, don't understand. I am thankful that these hard times don't change the fact that God IS in control. The words to this song have been especially dear to me this week.

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Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
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Since Jesus "conquered the grave" I am assured that nothing I am facing is too big or hard for Him to handle. That has made this week bearable. Praise God for He IS mighty to save!

I forgot to tell you about this.

When we were in Canada we saw something that I wanted to share but forgot about it until I saw a picture on a friend's FB page. All along the highway there are stacks of rocks, which have been put there by humans.




Here's a good explanation of the phenomenon:


"Inukshuk (singular), meaning "likeness of a person" in Inuktitut (the Inuit language) is a stone figure made by the Inuit. The plural is inuksuit. The Inuit make inuksuit in different forms and for different purposes: to show directions to travellers, to warn of impending danger, to mark a place of respect, or to act as helpers in the hunting of caribou. Similar stone figures were made all over the world in ancient times, but the Arctic is one of the few places where they still stand. An inukshuk can be small or large, a single rock, several rocks balanced on each other, round boulders or flat. Inuit tradition forbids the destruction of inuksuit."

I just found it fascinating.

Beginning a New School Year

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting. I think I like it most because it is a clean slate. No matter what has happened in previous years, now you begin again. It can be whatever you make of it. It is a chance to try new things, relate to new students and also revisit the things you know work and enjoy teaching most.

We've just finished a week of inservice. Most of it was outstanding. It has lead to many interesting and challenging conversations throughout the week. Here are a few highlights:

Kim Ellis spoke on Monday about students in poverty. I had heard some of this stuff before, but it always hits home. It reminds me that the students I serve (even though they are very smart) have issues related to growing up in poverty or from being surrounded by people who are in poverty. They think differently about things than I do, and I need to be aware of their perspective. It was also interesting to hear from teachers who came out of poverty to be the first person in their family to graduate high school, then college. It reminded me of the impact teachers have on lives.

Tuesday we had Mark McCloud who gave a great presentation about classroom management, procedures, and building appropriate meaningful relationships with students. He was so dynamic and all his material was very practical. He engaged every teacher in the room from the first year beginners to the veterans like me. He made us all proud of our profession and eager to greet our students when the first day comes along.


Thursday we had a couple of fairly typical inservice sessions and then had the community celebration in the evening. Steven James performed several stories for the crowd and a free meal was served. It was an enjoyable evening.

Today we heard from all the central office staff and I have to say they are a top-notch group of people. They work so hard and care so much about excellence. Phil gave a brief talk, and I was so proud of him. We wrapped it all up with Steven James once again. He did a great job instructing us on stories and how important they are in engaging our students. I love storytelling, so everything he did today was right down my alley.


All in all it has been a really interesting and stimulating week. It's not often you can say that about inservice. Special thanks to all who made it happen.

Now let's get to work!

Last post from COTW

This is the lodge where we ate all our meals. It was filled with campers each day. The system they have worked out for setting up, serving and cleaning up after each meal is a sight to behold. Quite efficient!

I got to speak a couple of times for chapel. I used the wheelbarrow as an illustration of how we have to give God control of our life. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6


It's all about trying to be sure the kids feel the love of God. We tried many things to help them have a fun week. I don't know how you could be a kid and not have had fun. I got to help them blow bubbles for one of their activities. They thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jacklyn, Crystal and I had a wonderful time serving the Lord at Camp of the Woods. We are all ready for the next trip. Who's coming with us?

Monday, July 19, 2010

A new group of campers arrived today. It is hard to have as much enthusiasm for this week’s work as last week’s. I can’t imagine how it would be to stay the entire summer. But we worked hard to make the game time we are in charge of a success. It was a warm day today so we were able to set up a couple of water hoses and some other water activities and have a very enjoyable afternoon out in the sun. There is no lifeguard this week so they are not allowed to swim in the lake this week. If we have another warm day, we may allow them to go wading.

I was scheduled to help with the Amazing Race part of the activities this week. I was supposed to accompany a team around as they competed. However, my hamstring injury continues to bother me, and I had to bow out of that job. It was disappointing.

As I sit here looking out over the lake, I continue to be amazed by the beauty I find here. The “heavens” definitely declare the glory of the LORD. There are several canoes rowing toward home. The kids here are enjoying the activities. It has been a good day.

Weekend Fun

They really know how to relax on the weekend here and show everyone a good time.
Saturday we watched as they shot off the "potato gun."

Sunday afternoon someone came with a boat, and I went tubing for the first time.

After I got in the water and actually went off the high dive. Not bad for the "elderly."



And the best part was that I didn't get any leaches on me. Yes, I did say leaches.

Weekend

This weekend we get to rest. It is much needed. The campers require a lot of energy and we need to be recharged. We will have the same responsibilities as we had last week, so it will again be busy.

We are going into Dryden this afternoon just to get out and see some other places. We plan to eat dinner there.

Another activity that we did this week was to spend some time blowing bubbles. I've done this with my kids at school, so I knew it would be fun for these kids too. I have a recipe for some extra good bubble juice, and it was a big hit with the kids.


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The little boy in the picture is the one who made the "elderly" comment. He's a sweetie in spite of it.

Friday

Friday, July 16
One last day with these campers. The week has flown by. It has held blessing upon blessing for all of us.

One of my responsibilities for the week was to run a specialized activity. The campers can choose from things like paintball, archery, canoeing, rock climbing, crafts, and other things. My activity is called navigation. It involves using different things to help you find your way to puzzle pieces that I have hidden around the camp. We have used directions, riddles, compass, maps and GPS to find our way.

In the end all the pieces form a picture of Camp of the Woods. At the end I tell them that God is using Camp of the Woods to navigate in their lives. Everyone has seemed like they had fun doing it.


Wednesday it rained and that caused some disruption in our schedule and made for quite a sloppy day. We still had to do as much of our activities as we could so we spent the day pretty wet.

Wednesday night one of the families that were working here this week got news that a car wreck had killed close family friend. They all left early Thursday morning, and that has caused a good deal of changes to the schedule here. I know Crystal had to take up some of the slack. She spent most of Thursday in the kitchen, and I know she was very tired last night.

Last night in chapel I got to share my talk about making bowls and how God works in our lives like a craftsman making a beautiful and useful piece of art. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I was very happy to share.

We are all looking forward to a good rest over the weekend.

All in a Day's Work

Monday, July 12
Here I am again in Sunset Country. It is gorgeous! The weather here has been unbelievably nice. Highs around 70, lows in the 50’s. Sure beats the heat and humidity in Tennessee.

Camp has begun and we have a full house of about 75 eight to eleven-year-olds. They arrived at 10:30 and the place has been hoping ever since.

Jacklyn, Crystal and I have a wide variety of assignments as support staff. Today we have cleaned the staff bathrooms, and I do mean CLEANED the staff bathrooms. You should have seen the list that we had to do. We have to do that again on Wednesday and Friday.

We all have assignments in the kitchen too. These chores include setting tables, drying dishes, serving food and putting things away after the meals. Crystal also has to make gallons of koolaid and lemonade for meals, and she has to sweep and mop the kitchen in the middle of the day. She has been a busy girl.

Jacklyn has been assigned to run a lot of the games. She is doing great and enjoying that.
Our biggest challenge is in the afternoon. All the campers cannot swim at one time and so we have to entertain about 50 kids for almost 2 hours. It is going to require a lot of creativity on our part. I hope it goes smoother tomorrow than it did today.

Their favorite game is Canadian Beaver. It is extremely rough but they love it.

It has been quite a day and I’m glad it is done. Tomorrow holds some new chores and new responsibilities. We’ll see.

On the Road Again

I have been too busy to post anything here for a while. I wanted very much to blog about my history trip to DC but the conditions we were under made it unfeasible to do that. I may yet post some of the more interesting facts I learned from my travels. Being away has also made many other tasks more expedient than reading and writing so they have fallen by the wayside.

Now I am planning to be gone another two weeks. I will be returning to Canada to work at Camp of the Woods. This time I will be taking two gals from my church with me, Jacklyn Pope and Crystal Queen. They are both excited to go, and I can't wait to see what God has planned for us as we go. These are two dear girls, and I am so looking forward to spending time with them. We aren't exactly sure what our duties will be but we are ready to do whatever is needed. We leave Friday morning and plan to cross the border Sunday morning, so keep us in your prayers.

As soon as I get back I will have to start inservice at school. Then I guess I'll have to stay put. In total I will have been gone 6 out of 8 weeks of the summer. That's a new record for me.

Phil is excited for me, but this will be our longest time apart ever. He is out of town right now and I will leave before he returns. Three weeks apart is a long time!

I hope that I will be able to post things while I am gone, but I don't know how much time I'll have. Last time I was there, there were no campers. This time there will be lots of kids and different duties. We'll just have to see.

Keep us in your prayers. God is so good to give us this opportunity to serve Him.

DC Trip - Post #1

Time is limited here for blogging and so I'll just post as I can.


Monday evening we visited four shops in Williamsburg: The Millenary, silversmith, bookbinder, and wigmaker. Each one gave us some interesting tidbits, some of which I knew but had forgotten about, others that were new.

The milliner got its name from the French word for 1000 because they carried so many different types of things. One of the more interesting items was false hips, which were worn to make a woman look plumper because that was more attractive in that time.

Another item was a padded hat for babies called a puddin’ cap. This was to protect their heads from injury which could make them “soft in the head” or a “puddin’head”.

Post #3 from the Great White North

I've not had time to write because there has been much to do. I have been working diligently on my part--The Amazing Race setup. Each day I have gotten all the materials together for each leg of the race, which has consumed a lot of time. It takes a lot of thinking, planning and organizing to put this whole thing together. So yesterday and today, the kids who are here have been running legs of the race as I set them up. It has allowed me to work through some of the kinks I find, change things that don't work, and generally see if they think it's fun. It's been pretty successful so far. I probably will be sending them more things even after I leave as I think about how it will work for them. It has been hard for me to think about designing the race and then not being here to coordinate everything. It's hard to write all the stuff down that others need to know. It's like having to leave plans for a substitute teacher :(

I have had some other jobs too. There is always something to cook or clean. I help in the kitchen every day, however I can, but it is not my natural habitat. Today I cleaned up and stocked the tuck room. In Canada, snack is called tuck. So they have a room with snack and souvenirs that campers can buy. Last week I helped sort and stock sweatshirts that had arrived for this room.


We all eat our meals together, and in the process we have become like family. Mealtimes are leisurely with lots of good conversation and good-natured kidding. Each day the number ebbs and flows from meal to meal. Tonight we will be having a big fish fry courtesy of Phil and the other fishermen. Yesterday and today he has taken two of the other men out on his boat. They said it is the best fishing time they have ever had.

The weather here has been pleasant, although we have had several rainy days. Phil says they are better for fishing, so he hasn't minded. He has the gear for the wet weather too. The temperature has been in the 60s for highs and the 40s for lows. It has been chilly, but that hasn't stopped the kids here from swimming in the lake. I haven't even put a big toe in. And on the coldest mornings we've been greeted with a blazing fire in the lodge.



It is a good place to be. It has been a time of making new relationships and helping in an important work. It has been a time of refreshing and renewing too. I am so glad we are here.

Post #2 from the Great White North

We have had a couple of very relaxing days. Phil says the past two days have been the best fishing days in his life. He has brought home his limit each day, and caught and released an amazing number of fish. On Tuesday he caught 41 small mouth bass. Amazing!

The weather has been great! Beautiful blue skies dotted with white puffy clouds, the lake water so blue it almost hurts your eyes. It is late spring here and much is in bloom. I have read about arctic lupine (remember Miss Rumphius, Kathryn?) but had never seen them before. They are gorgeous.





While Phil has been fishing, I have been working here at camp. The theme for camp this year is "The Amazing Race." As soon as I heard that, I knew that God had this trip all planned out. I have been designing legs of the race for them, each day centered on a different continent. I have a couple of the days all planned out and am now working on gathering all the materials they will need to complete each leg. I love doing it and am very happy to be able to lend my help to their efforts.

Yesterday our friends John and Fawnda arrived. John is the son of the founder of the camp and grew up here. He was here when Phil was here in the 70's. We also went to Temple together, so I knew John from college days. We were actually debate partners. It is so good to be here with them.

We have had some amazing meals here. The ladies here just know how to get it done. "How many of us will there be tonight? 14? No problem." And off they go, mixing and measuring, stirring and baking. The results are wonderful.

Fawnda loves all the things I do not-- cooking and gardening. She moves about the kitchen with ease, has just the right tool for every task she needs to accomplish. Of course, she has done this for many years, so she has become very good at it. And you have never seen such a spic-and-span place in your life. Everything clean from top to bottom, every nook and cranny swept and clean as a whistle. What a pleasure it is to see it all!

I will be helping some with the weeding and planting the flowers in the beds around camp. Mary will laugh at that. I say that next year she needs to come and spend a week putting her touches around these parts. I miss her!

Phil summed it up like this: "This is my childhood dream come true. Here I am in Canada with my own boat and catching loads of fish. I come back and you are here to greet me. We have a great meal and interesting conversation with good people. We come to our cabin and watch a movie. Then we go to bed." How could life get any better?

Post #1 from the Great White North

Yesterday we crossed the border and headed for camp. We arrived in Dryden in time for lunch at the local McDonald's. Then we traveled the final leg of our journey to camp.

Later on I'll post some pictures of the camp and the buildings. We found our cabin, called "The Loon's Nest", to be extremely cozy and very much nicer than Phil had expected. After unpacking and introducing ourselves to the caretakers, Johnnie and Becky Bates, we headed for Lake Minnitaki to get our first taste of fishing. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was about 67.

We drove about 30-40 minutes to Moonlight Falls. It was beautiful and pleasant and we started catching fish immediately. A bald eagle soared over our heads. Later we saw one sitting on a branch nearby, watching us fish.

I don't think we had been fishing an hour when the weather changed. The sky turned dark and ominous. It was very hard for Phil to decide what we should do... we didn't have good options. We could make for bank and get out of the boat, or we could ride the 30 minutes back across open water. We decided to head back. We donned our rain suits and headed out. (By the way, Mary, your rain suit worked GREAT!)

We raced across the water with rain pouring on us all the way. Thunder rumbled nearby. About halfway back, I saw a streak of lightning strike the water about 100 yards from the back of our boat. And then I did some serious praying! I'm so thankful that God protected us from the bad situation we were in. (Just want you to know that Phil and I both decided that there are worse ways to die and that we've had a good life and are ready [but not anxious] to go.)

On the way back to camp I witnessed the most brilliant rainbow I have ever seen. I could see all the ROYGBIV colors distinctly, and it was a double rainbow too. It was gorgeous!

This was not the introduction to fishing that Phil had hoped to give me. He was quite stressed out by the situation. But we got back to camp and this was the view from the back of our cabin.






That's hard to beat. So things are going well here in Canada.
More later.

An Action-Packed Sunday

This Sunday in Sunday School we listened to Andy Stanley. This was no small feat since we could not connect to the internet in our classroom. After we moved to the church office we had no problem. Andy is an amazing preacher and shared some great thoughts.

The main idea that he presented was the definition of faith based on Hebrews 11:1. This verse says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Andy's definition of faith is "Believing that God IS who He says He is, and that He will DO what He promises He will do." Oh, that we would all memorize this verse and this definition and filter all the events and circumstances of our life through these ideas!

In the afternoon I attended the women's meeting about spiritual gifts. It was a blessing to listen to different women talk about their gifts and how they are used in our church. I talked about the gift of the word of knowledge. I recognize that I have an unusual desire to know and share the Word of God. I look at the books I read and they are not the regular fare that most of my friends read. I focus on non-fiction that leads to a greater understanding of the Bible. Tammy said I was a nerd, and I agree, but I'm also very happy being a nerd. I also read daily passages in the Bible and have read the Bible through each year for the past few years. I am now trying to read it in a different version each year. Currently I am reading the Living Bible.

In my church I use my gift to share these books with others who may find them useful, like my pastor and youth pastor. I also share here on my blog. Another place I use this gift is in teaching different classes at church, since teaching goes hand in hand with this gift.

Finally, last night we honored the graduates from our church. I was so happy that an old friend was there with her son, who is one of the graduates. He had recently become a Christian and has been attending our youth group faithfully. It was good for Jason to give the graduates a chance to thank people for their help in growing up, and that he also allowed the church to speak to the graduates and encourage them to continue to follow Jesus all their lives.

All in all, it was a wonderful day!

Circumstantial Faith

Today we continued our discussion of how we deal with difficult circumstances in our lives. We want answers and sometimes there are none.

I began listening this week to Andy Stanley. He is the pastor of North Point Community Church, and he is the son of Charles Stanley, a very famous preacher. He has a series of sermons going right now online that are dealing with this very topic, so I shared with the class what he had to say:

Many people fall away from the faith because they have circumstantial faith. Circumstantial faith is believing in God based on my being able to find God in my circumstances. Two main reasons cause people to abandon this kind of faith. The first reason is life-style decisions that they make. An example of this would be growing up believing that being honest is important until you get a job that requires or allows you to prosper through dishonesty. You abandon your faith because you will always opt for things that bring pleasure, and making money at this job allows you to enjoy pleasures. The second reason is being faced with unexplainable circumstances. You expect God to act in a certain way, and when He doesn't, you have a crisis of faith.

One of our biggest problems is that we are just terrible at interpreting events. In the midst of trials, you can begin to wonder how God can love you and allow this to happen. Mostly we don't allow for enough time to see what God is doing.

Circumstantial faith is nothing to stand on. It will not give you a firm foundation. Our firm foundation is found in Hebrews 12. It says there, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Father."

The proof that God loves us is not the circumstances we are facing. It is the historical fact that God sent His Son to die for us on the cross. That is the only firm foundation on which we can stand. It is a fact to build your life upon.

Whirlwind

Even though we only had one student in class Sunday, we still had a great lesson and meaningful discussion. Ashley has been so faithful to come and if she were always our only student, Phil and I would still be happy to be ministering in her life. She even lets me know when she isn't coming. What a sweetie!

Our lesson this week was our last Rob Bell DVD called Whirlwind. In it, Rob addresses the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Rob summarizes the book of Job and all the bad things that come Job's way. After debating what is happening with his friends, Job hears from God. The better part of the movie is Rob quoting the questions God has for Job. It is such a dramatic presentation and so inspiring. It made me understand just a little of what Job might of actually felt like as God spoke. And in the end, it reminded me of how little I know and understand of God and His ways, and how arrogant I can be in questioning Him. I am thankful that I serve a God who is not upset with my questions and struggles, but He is listening and using these troubles to grow me up in Him.

I just attended my nephew's graduation and his commissioning as a lieutenant into the army. Andy had been the battalion commander second semester and was responsible for the entire group. His commander spoke about assigning tasks to Andy and the battalion. He said that often he would have to change things that were being planned 24 hours before the event, or 12 hours before the event, or whatever. I think he would do this on purpose at times just so they would have to learn to deal with making these changes and being flexible and adaptable. He said he would call up Andy and tell him about the changes, and then Andy would reply, "Yes, sir." And then he would get it done.

I would say that God is often working the same way in our lives when troubles come, when plans don't work out. What is my response.? Do I say, "Yes, sir," and go ahead and get things done? I hope I'm learning to do that. I think it would please my Commander.

Corner

We had an excellent class today in Sunday School. We began by reading The Runaway Bunny, a children's book I had brought for a baby shower gift. It is a wonderful little book with a sweet message. Next we revisited a lesson we had a couple of weeks ago on the role of women in the church and our relationship with men. This is a difficult subject, and we are grappling with it together. We talked about the difficulties involved and further discussed some of the ideas we had dealt with earlier. I knew the girls in the class had bristled somewhat at the whole "submission" idea, and I wanted to encourage them that we have to line up with scripture whether we like it or not.

Then we got to Rob Bell's DVD called Corner. It discussed the part of the law given to Israel which said that as they reaped their crops they were not to pick them clean, but they were commanded to leave some of the crops (a corner) for the poor, the widow and the immigrant. And Rob's point was, "It's not fair. It's not fair that I do all the work and someone else benefits from it. God's not fair." Haven't we all felt that way? And this played right into what we had talked about earlier in our discussion about women.

Grace isn't fair. It isn't fair that one person dies, and another lives. It isn't fair that the thief on the cross prayed and was saved. It isn't fair that Inez got to return to the US legally when others are still waiting, others who did the right thing from the beginning. No God's not fair; grace isn't fair. And THANK GOD FOR THAT!

Because we have been saved, liberated, freed, we have been commanded to care for those who need our help. Not just for their benefit, but for ours. Helping those in need changes us. It expands our life.

And so we have begun to talk about what we need to do. As a class we are exploring options for something we need to get involved in to meet the needs of others, to right an injustice, to heal a wound. What should it be? We are open. We have some ideas. We may have to try a few different things to find the best fit for us.

But we're thinking. It's exciting!

Reminiscing Part 1

This is the house I grew up in. I lived here until I was about 11. We lived in one side of a double, and my grandpa and two of my aunts lived in the other side. In the double next door lived my uncle and his family. I have lots of good memories of growing up here. Even though our house and yard were small, I never thought it was a problem. And even though we lived right in the city, I never felt like I wasn't safe. We roamed the neighborhood, walked to school, and had a great life.

Kids in the city play different games than kids in the country. When we were out in the evening we often watched for the street light to come on. We would shout out, "Pam Brim, 1239 S. Shepherd St., First one to see the street light come on!" Why did we do this? I don't know. We also played a game I'm sure we made up called Movie Stars.

This was the park we played at. The playground was new when I was a kid. Lots of tall swings that would swing really high, and of course, we would jump out of them. It also had a huge slide shaped like a rocket. Obviously, it has been redone since I was a child.














I have great memories of this hill. In the spring and summer we would often just lie down and roll down it like a log. In the winter it was the perfect hill for sledding. Great speed and nothing in the way at the bottom, and not too high so it was not a problem to climb back up. I couldn't believe it when I saw the sign. If you can't sled here, where can you sled? It's crazy!

Enough of this for today. More later.

This Easter season has been different for me. I have stepped out of the norm and done some things that are traditional in other denominations but not for Baptists.

First of all, I decided to observe Lent. Kathryn had told me that she observed it a couple of different times and she goes to a church in Kansas that observes it. And then I saw on Facebook that Melissa Tibbs was saying goodbye to all of us because she was giving up Facebook for Lent. That’s when I decided to try it.

For those of you who need an explanation of Lent here is a good one I found online:
“Lent is the season of the Christian year where believers examine their own humanity and ways they separate themselves from God (sin) to prepare for Jesus' death and resurrection at Easter.
Lent lasts for forty days, reflective of the forty days Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). As Christians enter their own symbolic wilderness during Lent, they remember their own humanity, vulnerable to temptation, just like Jesus in the wilderness.”

Now I considered what to give up, to fast from. There were some things I thought of that I knew it would be no use to try because I would fail. Things like chocolate, TV, all drinks except water, Facebook. In the end I decided to give up all carbonated drinks. I know it seems so small, but I wanted something I could stick with.

Here’s what I learned: Keeping even this small commitment was hard. I messed up a couple of times, once by accident (I bought flavored water and found out when I drank it, it was carbonated); a couple of times I bent the rules and drank some that had gone flat (see how you can think in warped ways?). So if I can have trouble with just this one little thing, it makes me realize the impossibility of my ever being good enough to face God. I am without hope, aside from the mercy and grace of God in Christ Jesus.

And even though you cannot even remotely call not drinking carbonated drinks suffering, every time I had a pang of desire for one, and felt the “pain” of not getting one, it reminded me of Jesus’ suffering. And I am thankful for that reminder.

The second thing I did differently this season was to attend the Maundy Thursday service at First Baptist. Maundy comes from the Latin and means “mandate.” During the Last Supper, Jesus gave the mandate for the believers to love and serve one another and set the example by washing their feet.

During this service, which was very somber, we remembered Christ’s death for us. It was a time of quiet reflection. The songs added to the mood. And then we took communion together. It was very moving. I think we often set aside reflecting on the suffering and death of Christ to focus on the glory of the resurrection. But setting aside the death and suffering diminishes the glory of the resurrection. Any time you can make an extreme contrast, the impact is magnified.

I think the Protestant church has set aside many rituals as a reaction against the misuses of them in many churches. I am here to say that they have great meaning if they are thought of correctly and I am thankful for the meaning they have had in my life during this Easter season.

Shells

Today's lesson from Rob Bell was one of my favorites. It was called "Shells." It was about purpose. The focus began on Jesus' ministry here on earth. Because Jesus was human, he could not be all things to all people; he could not be in all places, all the time. So Jesus had choices to make, and he had priorities to keep in mind, just like we do. He didn't stay in one place (and neither did Paul, by the way) even though there was more work to be done in every place He visited. His destination of the cross was always on His mind and directed His thoughts and actions throughout His time here on earth.

So the lesson for us is living with purpose, making good choices, focusing on God's best plan for us. One thing Rob said that was really good was that if you know what you're going to say yes to, that enables you to say no to a lot of other stuff. If you are too busy and have a hard time saying no, you would be best served by taking stock and deciding what is going to take priority in your life and focus on that. Then you have a good reason to say no to all the other stuff that can get you off track. And another good thought from Rob was that the enemy of the "best" is often not the "worst", but the "good." We can get caught up in doing all kinds of good things, but they may not be the best for us.

Now this may change in different seasons of your life. I know when I was raising my kids, my focus was on them...meeting their needs, developing their character, giving them lots of life experiences. So I made choices based on that priority in my life. Now I make other choices because my kids are grown.

Rob closed with a story about one of his boys. They were at the ocean and picking up shells, when they saw a starfish floating out in the water. One boy went after it, and they urged him on. But he went just a short way and turned back, kind of agitated. They sent him back out again, but he returned, crying out that he couldn't do it. When they asked him why, he said, "My hands are full of shells."

What are your hands full of? Are you sure this is God's best for you? Take stock. Make changes. Go for what is best.

The People You Touch

There's so much good to do in the world. I have had an amazing week. I can only praise the Lord for all that He has allowed to let me be a part of this week.

On Monday I had an appointment for a regular checkup at my doctor. On the way in, I rode the elevator with someone who worked at the hospital. She saw I had a book and asked about it. Although I didn't think she would be particularly interested in what I'm reading right now, I did get a chance to suggest A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Next I went in to my appointment where I was seeing a nurse practicioner that I hadn't seen before. During the course of my exam she began to ask me about my kids, and when I told her about Kathryn being in Wichita, she said that her daughter was 21, and she was afraid her daughter would get married and move far away. I spoke up and told her that I thought it would be a mistake to hold on to her daughter too tightly, that she needed to let her go and grow up and be independent. At the end of the exam she said, "I think I needed to see you more than you needed to see me. Thanks for seeing me."

Next I went to get my car worked on. At the dealership I saw an old friend who works there and had a great conversation with him. As I waited, a retired teacher came in waiting for his car and we had a good long conversation too.

Later in the day I went to see a friend who was in the hospital and got there just as he was being discharged. I got to walk out with him, and I was glad I got there in time to talk to him and let him know I was thinking of him.

For supper I was able to take a friend out for her birthday. I got her Gigi's cupcakes and we ate at El Metate. I think she had a great time.

On Tuesday we went to Nashville and got the great news about Will's heart. We went out to eat and had a great conversation about Will's future. Will has lots of interesting ideas rolling around in his head, and I am excited to see what is going to become of them.

Wednesday we had Kids Club. Lots of good things always happen in Kids Club.

Thursday we got to go to church and pray. It was a special time.

Friday I spent some time with my family.

Saturday I took my niece to see Alice In Wonderland. It was great to spend the afternoon with her.

So you see, there's a lot of good to do in a week. There are people to be with and words to be said. It was a wonderful time. Hope your week was half as good as mine.

Today

Our lesson for today from Rob Bell was entitled "Today." He begins by relating the story of Mary Magdeline. She was an amazing woman. She had been possessed by seven demons, and Jesus delivered her. From that time on she was a faithful follower of Christ. She embodies the story Jesus tells in Luke 7 about the men who had debts. The one who had been forgiven much, loved much. No wonder she was there all the way--through the trial, through the cross and at the tomb on Sunday morning.

When she saw Jesus in the garden she started to hug Jesus, and he tells her, "Don't." She had assumed that now that He was alive everything would go just like it had before His death. But He is telling her, "Things have changed." Things always change. Rob says, "Life isn't static. It ebbs and flows."

And we find we aren't who we were. Some people realize this with great regret because they are always looking at the past with longing. They wish they still were who they used to be. But to be happy about who we have become is a great gift. It is God's plan for us to grow in all areas of our lives, and to become more like Christ. I am so glad I can see progress in my life, and I revel in the fact that God is not finished with me yet. "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."

Many people are tempted to live in the past because of guilt they have and choices they continue to feel bad about. The disciples could have wallowed in the past. Nothing had turned out as they had expected. Now Jesus was back and some of them weren't at all sure it was even Him. Some returned to fishing. Peter could have totally turned away after his denial of Christ. But they all eventually accepted Christ's forgiveness and obeyed His command to be His witnesses to all the earth. They moved on.

Some parents have a hard time moving on. They continue to hang on to their children long past the time when their children have become adults. They hold their children back in their desire to see them remain close by. Rob says the thought process that keeps us from this trap is to be so fully present in the moments you have with your children as they grow so that you don't miss a thing.

Isaiah 43:18-19: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

God wants us to realize that things will always be changing. We have to trust Him and His promise to be with us and to bring to pass miraculous things in our lives that are beyond our imaginations.

Store

Our Sunday School lesson today was called "Store." All through the movie it kept showing all the things that can happen at the store to make you angry... the buggy with the bad wheel, the product you want is all gone or you can't find it, kids that don't behave, bags that break, people with too many items in the wrong lane. We've all experienced them. But Rob Bell had some great points to make about the things that make us angry and why they anger us.

The first thing that really struck me was his identification of the root cause of most of our anger. It happens when something blocks our will and we don't get what we want. We want to go 60 and the car in front of us is going 45. We want speedy service at the restaurant, and we have to wait longer than we think we should. I could go on and on. So the root of anger is really selfishness, wanting what we want when we want it.

Rob went on to say that we get angry about these things as if they really matter. Isn't that so true? How many of the things that make us mad are totally meaningless? And how often do we behave badly to someone else about these meaningless things?

Next, Rob went on to say that we get angry about so many things that don't matter, and then we fail to get angry about the things that do matter. This is Jesus' example to us. He got mad about things that were important. He raged at the merchants who defiled the Temple. He challenged the Pharisees and their hypocrisy, especially when it came to His healing on the Sabbath. He was passionately enraged when the poor and the oppressed were dealt with unjustly. These are the things we need to be angry about. And then we need to channel that anger into making a difference in the world.

Finally, Rob challenged us to think of a time when we said, "This (whatever this is for you) is not right. Someone should do something about this." If you feel this way in some area, maybe it is God telling you, "You are the one who should do something about this."

"The Thrill of Victory...The Agony of Defeat"

If you're old enough you, you remember watching the Wild World of Sports on Saturday afternoons.  I am posting the opening of the show on my FB wall.  I got to thinking about this today while I was at the Science Olympiad with my middle school students.

I love competition.  I always have.  I really enjoy exposing my students to academic contests.  And what I love about competition is the drama.  Today was no exception... there was drama.

My boys have worked really hard on building model planes.  They have been working with them all year long.  So today's contest was the culmination of a lot of time and effort.  They were well prepared and I was confident that they would do well in this event.  They had an hour of prep time and practice before the actual event.  We had three planes that were making good flights.  Then it was time for the actual competition.

First, we found out that each team could only fly one plane so that put one plane out.  That was OK.  Next, on its last practice flight one of the planes lost a small piece of wood and when the boys replaced it, it didn't get back on just right.  So, when they flew their official flight, it went no where.  The boys almost cried.

Then it was time for our other plane to fly.  They wound it up and let it go and it took a nose dive.  Now the way it works is that you have 8 minutes to make 2 official flights.  They had to rewind and reset, look it over for any adjustments they needed to make and then fly again.  The boys launched it again and it flew up in the air but it did not fly in a circle.  That meant the plane flew straight into the wall.  But it didn't fall.  It bumped the wall and turned and began to fly in a circle once again.  However, since it was not in center of the gym anymore, every time it completed a circle, it ran into the wall once again.  Every time it headed toward the wall, the crowd held its breath.  And when it banged the wall and continued to fly, the crowd cheered.  It ended up being their best flight ever... one minute, 23 seconds.  So our two teams finished 1st and 3rd in that event.

We conquered today with our sheer numbers.  We had two teams with 13 people on each team.  In some of the events, our two teams were the only two teams.  That made for some great head to head match ups.  In the Ornithology event (all about birds), we had a team of boys and a team of girls.  When they finished the event, the boys came to me and said, "That was so hard.  We didn't know a lot of that stuff.  I don't think we did too good."  The girls were right behind them and came up to me and said, "We loved that!  It was our favorite event we did today!"  So funny to hear such different perspectives.  Just so you'll know... the boys won the Ornithology event.  They said, "We stunk, but the girls stunk more."

We have learned lots of good things in preparation for the Science Olympiad.  And we got to enjoy the drama, both good and bad.  It was a good day.

Names of God

Since I had been posting comments about the Purpose Driven Life, I could not keep up my posting here. But now that book is finished and I will take this up again.

This weekend I attended our ladies' retreat and our lessons were about the names of God in the Old Testament. In my small group I showed pictures of banners that some churches have that depict the names of God. Then after we had studied a name, I asked the ladies to draw an image that reflects that name for them. This lead to some wonderful pictures, and some great stories to share. I will post my own pictures here and explain what they mean to me.

My Adonai - This name for God means "Master." I think of being a slave. I was a slave to sin and God set me free. I love the song that says, "My chains are gone, I've been set free." In the Old Testament the law said that slaves were to be freed every seven years. It further stated that if a slave chose to remain with his master, his ear would be pierced to show his choice to remain with his master. So in my picture, my ear is pierced to show that I will remain with the One who has set me free.Jehovah-Nissi - "God is my banner." A banner was used in battle as a focal point, or as a rallying point to return to. I chose the later. A rallying point that I often return to was the change in my life that took place after Mike Barris came to speak at our church. He was from Australia, and he had a bull whip. It will always be special to me that God sent a man all the way from Australia just to speak to me. My life was never the same after he came.

Jehovah-Shalom - "God is my peace."

I used this illustration with the kids in Kid's Club. I have always been afraid of bees, which makes it ironic that I married a beekeeper. As a result, I have sometimes had to help him with the bees. When I don the bee suit, I can have peace and calm in the midst of the bees. Even though they may still try to sting me, they don't have the affect of making me fearful. This is how I want to think of God as my peace. Even though the troubles come and try to "sting," I can have confidence in my "Jehovah-Shalom."

Jehovah-Rapha - "The God Who Heals Us"

I cannot think of this name without thinking of Will. He has had heart problems since he was 12. We will be going to Nashville on March 9-10 to try once again to have a procedure done that will heal his heart. We are praying that He will be "Jehovah-Rapha" for us. Although we know He has the power to heal, we defer to His unending wisdom and say, "Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done."