Young Life Work Crew...part 2!

Romans 12:11

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, 

serving the Lord. (NIV)

Saturday afternoon, I was still resting in my bed after working night shift the previous night. I had just 30 more minutes before my alarm would go off, sending me into the shower to prepare for another all nighter. My husband came into our room, holding his cell phone while I heard Emily's voice over the speaker phone. She sounded amazing. She was talking extremely fast and jumping from one story to the next. She talked about the people she had met, the girls in her cabin, the leaders, and the campers. She talked about other girls and their individual stories. Some stories were similar to hers and others were so much harder to hear, about loss and insecurity and pain. She spoke about how quickly a few of them had become friends. After only one week with these people in this amazing place, she could tell that God was speaking to her about the kind of person that He had created her to be.

She spoke about the families that had come to camp that week and about how they had included her in their story. She talked about one man standing up at the end of the week and talking directly to the work crew staff. He challenged them to go home changed...even if they were going home alone without the support of another Young Life member! She talked about how she was going to have to come home and have some hard conversations with some of her friends. She sounded confident, light, and full of expectation. She said I have prayed to and heard from God more this week than I have in my entire lifetime....and this place...it is just so beautiful!  No wonder she sounded so great!

 

After about 15 minutes of listening to her talk, I got out my phone and started recording her voice. I couldn't help it. I just wanted to be able to listen to the joy in her voice over and over again. She was radiant... shining right through the cell phone!

It was just as we had expected. We knew that God would not have called her to Trail West to leave her there in despair, alone, without friends. He just needed to get her attention. To show her that He was enough. She was soaring. Every week she called at the same time. She talked for an hour each time...almost non-stop. She told us everything. She even said, "I wish you all could come! You would love it here!"  She wrote us letters that we will save forever, heartfelt and kind and full of encouragement. We were noticing....she was coming alive!

As one week turned into four, we could not wait to see her. We made plans to pick her up from the airport in the wee hours of the morning and head directly to IHOP so we could enjoy her homecoming! And that is exactly what we did! 

Oh joy! Fun memories! Sweet times!

This is the welcome video from the first week she was there! Oh to be one of those camper families! 

Linking up again with alphabe-Thursday! The letter is Z...for ZEAL!

Come on over and join the fun...now is the time to join the class! 

A humble spirit and an open mind...Young Life Work Crew part I.

I was heading home from the grocery store when my cell phone started ringing. It was Emily. She wanted to know how much longer I would be and said that she needed to talk with me about something important. She asked me to come home with a "humble spirit and an open mind." (this is what we say in our family when what we really mean to say is ..."don't say no, just be prepared to think about it".)

I was sure she was about to ask if she could drive to the beach for a vacation with her friends.

Thankfully, that was not it. 

For 6 weeks in the spring, Emily had attended Young Life Work Crew orientation and training. She filled out all the necessary applications and fulfilled all of the requirements. At the end of the process, she ended up 3rd on the waiting list for one of many Young Life camps across the country.

She had been busy working and getting lots of hours at Chick-fila. As the time came for her friends to be making their final preparations for their summer camp assignments, she got restless and wished she had been more assertive after being placed on the waiting list. She made a quick call to her Young Life leader, asking her if there were any last minute openings at any of the camps.

It was a long shot, but sure enough, there were 2 camps that had last minute cancelations. She was given a choice between a camp in Northern California and one in Colorado. After much, but quick discussion, she chose Trail West Young Life Camp in Beuna Vista, Colorado. And she would need to be ready to leave in 3 days.

Laundry, shopping, packing, travel arrangments, medical forms, a sports physical....those were just a few of the many things that needed to be done. Friday morning at 5:35 am, she boarded the plane alone and was on her way. She would be 1700 miles, 25 hours, away from home. She texted us along the way and a few minutes before noon, she texted us that she had arrived in Denver and had joined some of the other kids in her group. 

We wondered how she was doing, what friends she had made, if she loved the camp, if she was able to sleep that first night, and so on. Saturday night at about 12 midnight, she called. She was sad. She was teary. She said, "this is so hard. I am so far out of my comfort zone. I feel alone and I want to find a friend."  I could hear it in her voice. She was broken. I couldn't help but want to rescue her. Tears were running down my face as I listened to her Dad tell her to seek The Lord and call on Him to meet her in this place. He looked at me and mouthed the words..."this is good for her."

A few minutes later, she hung up the phone and I knew it would be one week before we would speak to her again. (They were only able to use their phones for 2 hours on Saturdays.) I worried. I prayed. I sent out emails asking others to pray. I tried to imagine her loving every minute of her day, but I was afraid that maybe she wasn't.  I sent her a letter and a package. I couldn't wait to talk to her again.

Then finally, it was Saturday. At 4:30, she called!

Part 2... Coming soon.

I'm linking up here for alphabe-Thursday! Y is for Young Life and You Only Live Once!

I am a writer!

image

While I was at Allume, I learned to call myself a writer. It's funny, but I always thought a writer was someone like Steven King or Nicholas Sparks. You know, someone who writes novels, for real money. 

I have always written. When I was young, I wrote in journals. I copied poetry from Teen Magazine into little flowered books with ribbons attached to mark my page. I honestly thought every girl did the same. The aisles at Target and the shelves at Barnes and Noble that house those many little journals were evidence that they were always in demand.

Earlier this year, I began writing emails to some members of my Bible study. I poured out my heart through the words in those emails. I wondered why I was {almost} the only one who shared my story in written words.  I thought it strange. I wanted to read heart felt words from others too. 

I have learned that not everyone writes. Some people never write anything more than to-do lists. They never put words to paper. They might think about their feelings or talk about their stories, but they can't remember ever writing them anywhere. Gasp....did you know that?

I said, "I am a writer!"
But...I have so much more to learn about being a good writer. I want to tell a story that is interesting, but I want it to sound like me. I want to share from my experiences and I want to make you think. I may even want to make you act. I want to write because by doing so, I find out more about myself and somehow, that makes sense. 

I attended several sessions at Allume that were focused on writing. 
One was called "The Core 5 of writing things that Matter!", by Lisa Whittle. She pointed out that good writers move people with their words. We don't want o write good words. We want to write words that matter.
Key points...

-Find the core.  Don't just write on the surface. Plunge deeper until you find the spot were words translate into the message that you are hoping to share, where you can connect with your reader.
-Don't settle. Push through anonymity. Write even if no one is reading. Push through the criticism. Write and you will get better.
-Understand the story. We tell stories to connect, to ready hearts, and then to nudge people toward receptive insight.
-Be see through.  Let go of your perfect. Others feel brave when you are honest and share your needs. Sometimes you have to ...just write.
-Write from the truest you.  Learn from other writers, but do not try to become them. Know yourself and accept yourself and stay close to those who believe in you. 

Sara Markley spoke about "Finding your True Voice". 
This goes back to finding out who you are. The people that we most like to read...are authentic, confident and comfortable in their skin. It is true, isn't it? To find your voice, it may take a little self discovery. Don't be scared of what you may find. It also takes practice. And once you find your voice...guard it. Keep it authentic. 

Andrea from the Organic Bird spoke about "How to tell hard stories!" She spoke about writing her own hard story and about the redemption and healing that came from that experience. She made it clear that sometimes your story may be what someone else needs to read. When we let go of pride and control, and allow God to work through our deeper stories, people are set free and given permission to tell their hard stories too. 

These speakers were genuine and full of grace. They know that this writing thing is a learning process for most of us.  As you can probably tell, I did not attend any classes on how to properly use punctuation. I did not diagram sentences and I did not even see a red correcting pen. I was enlightened and encouraged to keep writing my story...dots, dashes and all.

No more eXcuses! 
Keeping at it!


Today, I'm linking up with alphabe-Thursday. I'm hoping that Mrs Jenny will make an eXception and allow me to turn in my assignment from last week. There is an X in excuses.... but, "W" is for Writer! Join me and the rest of the class here!

Grown up little ones!

It happens before you notice it.

The youngest child really does get to do more, much sooner than the oldest one did. The oldest child grumbles because she remembers that there was no way she was going to ride her bike to the corner market at the age of 14, much less 10. She practically had her drivers permit before she could ride her bike alone across the neighborhood to her friends house, and now Zac at age 11, is riding with his 14 year old brother to the market...and he is riding the bus home from school. Gasp! 

Now...before you fall out...the school bus is not bad. It is just a really grown up kind of thing in our family. We have always had our kids in car pool all the way through elementary school. Mostly because the buses take a long time to get home, and truth be known...I have horrid memories of riding the school bus in elementary school. 

On Monday, I watched from around the corner (since I was strongly encouraged not to be waiting at the bus stop) until Zac got off the bus. He saw me. We didn't talk about it.

Zac was excited, sort of. He and his buddy, Max are riding together and Max is coming to our house until his mom gets home from work. It is a win - win situation. I will save a little on gasoline and my squeaky brakes should be able to squeak along a few more months before needing to be replaced.  And Max doesn't have to go to after school care, Zac doesn't have to ride the bus alone, and doing homework with a friend makes it less like work and more like....if we hurry up and get this done, we can play together. Not to mention that since Max' s mom and dad are saving money by not putting Max in after school care, and because Max's mom is truly one of the sweetest people I know, they are sharing some of their savings with me. We are calling it the "after-school snack money fund". So far the boys have requested turkey sandwiches and Ramon noodles. Sounds perfectly delicious, right?

So, now that I've given in to the corner market bike rides and the after school bus rides, I'm sure my oldest thinks I may be ready to pack Zac's bags (or Jonathan's for that matter) and send him off to camp in the wilderness or at least drop him off with his friends at the movie theater. Not so fast. I can't say it won't happen sooner than it did for Emily, but it will not happen yet.

Watching your children grow up is just like everything else. The more you do it, the more comfortable you become. The scary things seem less scary...and you realize that the God who gave them to you really does have them for the long haul. 

Plus, I know that my oldest will do the exact same thing when she has some littles of her own and we will talk reasonably about it then.

Learning as I go,

Linking up here with Jenny Matlock for alphabe-Thursday! Come on over to join the fun!

Grown-up Scardey Cat!

One of the best things about living in the Carolinas is the fact that in a few hours time we can be sitting on the sand with our toes in the Atlantic or hanging over the side of a mountain enjoying the spectacular view.

 

On this particular day, we were hiking and hanging over and enjoying the view from the top of Crowders Mountain. The trail begins in Kings Mountain, NC about 45 minutes outside of Charlotte. The trail takes about a half an hour to hike and the last 378 steps are up a man made staircase.  There are also a few places along the way that registered climbers can climb up the side of a cliff or repel down from the top. The uphill trek and never ending staircase was enough for me.

 

That day, I realized that even though I love this type of adventure, I am much more comfortable when my children are very close by or preferably not there at all. Seeing them run up ahead and look over the edge and climb up a little higher turns me into a nervous Nellie. I am not a scardey cat. I am protective and seeing my dearest loved ones no more than 6 inches from falling hundreds of feet to the ground below...it can surely turn my tummy inside out. My children see my nerves and assume I am scared of heights or wimpy or non-adventurous.

 

 

At one point, we followed a climber and his dog. I kept thinking about the poor dog falling and how devastating that would be. The man assured me that the dog was much safer and more aware of the surroundings than any of the rest of us. I'm sure he was right. Even still, my day hike would have been much more relaxing without the kids and that dog to worry about.

 

The hike down involved a lot of trotting and running. The older folks, like me, were complaining about our knees. At one point we trotted back and forth across the mountain, like snow skiers do when they want to slow down. The kids beat us down the mountain just as they had beaten us on the way up. We found them at the bath house, playing with a pay phone. I'm not sure that they had ever seen a real, working pay phone.

 

A few minutes later, while we were enjoying some cantaloupe and cheese crackers, a police officer arrived and walked over to our picnic table. Someone had dialed 911 from that interesting pay phone and hung up when the operator answered. No one confessed, but all of the children got a lesson in 911 emergencies and the importance of only calling when there is a real emergency. The officer had been stationed in the park all day and did not call the ladder trucks and medics, thankfully. When the operator had called back, someone else answered and told them that there were some children playing with the pay phone. I'm certain that Zac thought someone was going to jail. If it was him, he will not ever do it again.

A mountain adventure with a reminder for me. While youngsters have little fear, growing older makes me weak in the knees and it turns my tummy inside out. 

It is just me?

Linking up here with Ms Jenny for another edition of alphabe-Thursday! G is for Grown-up scardey cat..and gulp..and geeez...and get-back from the edge of that cliff pleeease!

Zac and Max!

Best Buds! 

Fourth grade friendships. You remember them, right. The friends you thought you'd always have. The ones you shared your secrets with, played with almost every day, arranged sleep overs and get-togethers and asked your mom to call her mom to see if she could come. 

Zac just finished the fourth grade and he has one of those special friends. His name is Max. They are best friends. Zac is blessed because Max is not only his classmate at school, but he also lives in our neighborhood and rides in our carpool. They are on the swim team together and spend most afternoons playing together. They get along great. They are super funny and silly and really loud when they are together. Sometimes they make me crazy. 

Earlier this year, Zac and Max had a big test to study for in Science. Max came over so the boys could share notes and go over the material. As I was calling out their study guides, things kept getting crazier. I was sure their teacher would appreciate the comedy of the experience, so I video taped their answers and sent her an email.   

The teacher replied with,  "Hilarious, but I sure hope they know more than what they discussed in this study session."  And if you're wondering what they are looking at, it is their own reflection in the mirror, of course.

More recently, the boys accepted the challenge of taking a hockey lesson together. Neither of them knew anything about hockey,  and ice skating is not a huge southern sport. They played hard, fell down a lot, and slept really good later that night.

Friends matter. Especially when you are little and impressionable. The parents and siblings of those friends matter too. We are blessed to know Max's family well. We help each other out on days that we need to. We trust that our children will be safe, both physically and emotionally while in each others care.  
I remember when my oldest was Zac's age. I was that parent that called the friends parents to ask if they had guns, and what movies they allowed their children to watch, what video games their older children might be playing that my child would be exposed to and so on. (I know, crazy mom!) 


{I'm not saying that it is a bad idea all together, but these days, I talk directly to my kids about movies and guns and other things that might be dangerous everywhere...not just in the homes of their friends that I may not know.}


Anyway, getting back....friendships are valuable at any age. They are important enough to cover in prayer. For your children to have safe and true friends, for your husband to have friends that aren't afraid to ask tough questions, and for you (and me) to have friends that know that being real is better than being right or cute or creative or perfect.

Zac and Max have taught me a lot about having fun, sharing life, saying sorry and what it means to grow a friendship. I am happy for this time for them....and the memories they are making of childhood friendships.


Linking up here with Ms Jenny for another week of alphabe-Thursday! Come on over to join the rest of the class.

A lesson from along the greenway.

One morning last week, I rode my bike on the Greenway. It was a cool, peaceful morning. The trail was not crowded with people to distract me and I had lots of time to ride and think. As I rode along, a bird house caught my attention. Then I noticed another...and another. Many people in the community, especially those who live along the greenway have spent time planting flowers and building bird feeders and houses, as well as designing natural artwork to beautify the trails. 

About the time I noticed the third or fourth bird house, and the little birds fluttering back and fourth near by, something else caught my attention. As I looked toward the bottom of the bird house on the pole, I spotted a contraption of some kind. It was a cylinder with a purpose. I knew right away. It's intention was to protect the birds and the babies from its enemy. The garden snake would be sure to slither inside the little house and eat up the eggs that would become the baby birds, if given the chance.

Someone, whomever had built the birdhouse, had been intentional and thorough in providing for these birds. To build a bird house without the protection from their natural enemy would be dangerous and defeat the purpose of the little house. In adding this protection, the birds were able to live their birdie lives and have their birdie babies, while being protected from an enemy, without even knowing it.

What I realized {the lesson in this} in that moment, was that in my life and in my daily comings and goings and raising my little ones, there is an enemy. I cannot deny that there is someone that desires to kill and destroy my family. The bible says clearly in John 10:10, " the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy."  I cannot pretend that I am safe, or my children are safe, simply because we are happy and full of life and living in America. The Lord has given us protection in the power of His word and the power of our prayers. In Hebrews 4, we read that "...the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword."
When we live unaware, we fall victim, without meaning to or even knowing it. We must recognize the enemy (without focusing on him), set up our covering, and then live the life of freedom that we are called to live, protected and focused on the one who is our loving provider.

As a side note, on that same day, I rode by honeysuckle and jasmine, thinking about how lovely the fragrances were. In the next breath I smelled doggie poop and realized....some days you get the sweet and some days you get the stinky. Life is a journey. Ride on up a little farther and you'll smell the honeysuckle again.

Treasures in lessons. 
Writing them down.

Linking up later with Ms Jenny for alphabe-Thursday. Join the rest of the class here!
And here with Walking Redeemed. And here with From Inmates to Playdates!

On turning fourteen and one big adventure!

Jonathan turned fourteen in May. 

For the last few years, it has become a tradition for he and David to make a day of it....an adventure of some kind. This year, they planned to go on an all day bike ride. I say all day because that is how long it takes to ride your bike from a house in the suburbs to Panther Stadium. Yep! Some 30 miles round trip to the center of uptown and back. 

I was nervous. We bought a new bike helmet. I monitored the route to check for sidewalks and intersections that might be dangerous. I had worked the night before, so I was supposed to be sleeping all day. I made them text me every hour so that when I woke up worried, I could check in. They were sweet to send me photos and texts throughout the trip. 

They left at 8:00 am and made it back by 3:00 pm. They both walked a little funny for a few hours. They were so proud of their accomplishment.   Jonathan said,  "That was the hardest, but most fun thing I've ever done!"

To do something that some would say couldn't be done always feels great!

When Jonathan told his sister what he did, she said, "Why?" 

He knew why. He wanted an adventure. Not just a day of mountain biking at the local park or a day to spend at Carowinds, but a real adventure that takes courage and stamina and a sense of pride in accomplishing a hard goal.

I am proud of both of them. I know this is a memory that will last a lifetime. 

Fourteen is a year for grown up boys to share together. Jonathan is growing up well. 

We are blessed.

Linking up here with Ms Jenny for another week of alphabe-Thursday! 

Prom Season!

With Spring, comes Prom...and the excitement of it all!
These are just a few of the many photos I took to capture the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

The weather was perfect! The girls were beautiful! The boys were charming!
That whole group of teenagers went together to dinner, danced at the prom and then afterward, one brave family had the kids over for a late night breakfast.
Emily slept and lounged around the entire next day!

'Tis the season!
Loving this time of year!


Linking up with Mrs Jenny for alphabe-Thursday! X is for eXcitement!
Come over here to join the rest of the class!

What to do with fear.

The police department called, but didn't leave a message.

My heart pounding, I called them back. The lady that answered had no information about anyone having called my number.

I hung up, then called my daughter who had just gotten out of school and should have still been in the parking lot. I called my husband, who should have been at work. Neither one of them answered.

Fear is a powerful thing. It can weigh you down, make you sick to your stomach and cause you to panic. Emily texted back, then she called.  I took a deep breath. Then as I had a moment to calm down, I realized that the police department had called my cell phone. In an emergency, surely they would have called my house phone. I also thought more clearly and remembered that just a few weeks earlier I had filed a police report about a tuba that had been stolen from our garage. I called the police department back. This time I had enough information to get through the gatekeeper to the officer who had called and not left a message.

He wanted to inform me that the tuba had been found. It was pawned shortly after it was taken. On Presidemt's Day, while my kids were playing in and out of the house, doors unlocked, in the driveway, and in the garage, someone was watching and waiting to walk into my garage and steal something that they knew could be pawned quickly and easily.  The officer was sure the offenders were just looking for quick cash and were probably harmless, but because the tuba had been pawned so close to the time it was stolen, the cameras in the pawn shop could be used as evidence to indict the theives. As I rehashed the details with the officer, the fear came back again. Thoughts of how we should never keep our garage door open because nothing is safe. Thoughts about how close the stranger was to the door leading to the inside of our home. Thoughts about him coming back.

It is often said that the things we fear the most, are the things that never happen. Fear can stop you from living and keep you in hiding.  Fear can cause you to lose trust in people and lose trust in God. Fear puts too much pressure on "what if" and not enough reliance on "He is!"

It is scary to think that something could happen to my children or my husband. It is scary to think about theives coming to watch our home or steal our things. When my mind  begins to go there and causes me to panic, I have to take those thoughts captive and claim the truth of God's word.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self discipline. 2 Tim 1:7  

There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out all fear. 1 John 4:18

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

This is my command-- Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

It is God's word that releases the power to break the bond of fear. To allow us to rest and trust and experience life.

We will continue to leave our garage door open when we are in and out and we will pay attention to what's around us. We will remind each other to "be careful" and "call us when you get there" and we will still worry unnecessarily. It is our nature, but if we can remember that we are powerless over fear without the promise of a God who is for us, we can feel secure in the moment and rely on who "He is" instead of on our own "What if's?"

Is it just me?

How do you deal with your fears?

I'm linking up here with Jenny Matlock for alphabe-thursday. The letter for today is "T".