Personal:: Childhood Memories

I hate tulle. Anyone who's ever talked to me about wedding dresses can attest to it. And I remember when that hatred started. I was 5 and my mom bought me my first poofy dress, complete with tulle underneath a flowery skirt. I was less than thrilled to wear it to church that Sunday. It was terrible. The tulle underneath the dress itched like crazy and I couldn't sit still to save my life. I think it ripped a hole in my white stockings too. A couple of bickering fights and a pair of scissors later, my dress was no longer poofy and I was a happy 5 year old. Thus started my hate for dresses with tulle.

One of those days

       It's just been one of those days. The kind where you don't change out of your pajamas, your hair looks like something out of a Frankenstein movie, and somehow the idea of responsibility and productivity elope from your mind. Bobby pins are my best friends on days like this. The basket of folded laundry on my bed won't put itself away, I'm littered with piles of recipes that I'm sorting, and somehow 24 hours after I clean my room, it's messy again.

        I've got a stack of books sitting next to my bed and coffee cups of various sizes sitting on shelves. My bible and journal remain open from this morning, and I can't seem to make myself throw away the wilting roses sitting on my shelf.




Sometimes days like these are alright.

Day 4

Time Awake: 6:30 (I don't think I even  heard the alarm until it was ringing at 6:15)

Tasks Accomplished: Prayer. Time spent with Jesus. Finished Crazy Love. Was inspired to love people. Went over small group curriculum for today. Prayed for my small group girls.

Likes: Getting up early is getting easier. That moment when I first wake up and am able to see the majesty of Christ through the beautiful sunrise as I thank Him for the day. The reading I'm able to get done. Not having excuses for my lack of time.

Dislikes: Still being tired. The fact that it takes me 45 minutes to be coherent; I have a feeling that it'll get easier.

Day 2

Time Awake: 6:15 am

Tasks Accomplished: Jesus time. Flipped through a magazine. Read another 2 chapters in Crazy Love. Watched an episode of The Office. Successfully made a cup of coffee


Likes: Knowing that I got those things done that are important to me in the beginning of the day so that by the time I'm usually waking up, I can do those things that I normally would push to the next day


Dislikes: I'm dead tired. It took me 45 minutes to be coherent enough to check my email. When the weather outside does not promote my goal of waking up early: like today.


Side note: I'm pretty sure I need a new copy of My Utmost For His Highest.

Day 1

Time Awake: 6:10

Tasks Accomplished: Walked & fed dog and cats. Unsuccessfully made coffee. Laundry. Spent time with God. Read about Calvinism & Arminianism. Read 2 chapters in Crazy Love. Listened to entire Jesus Culture album.

Likes: More time to read and spend time with God. Feel good about myself and my day. Able to spend time in prayer for others (something severely lacking in my life).

Dislikes: How cold it is that early in the morning.

Goal for this week: Finish Crazy Love

Personal:: Life Adjustments

As always, there are adjustments that should be made in my life. You know, re-prioritize my life, get things in order, grow up; that sort of thing. My first goal? (because this time I'm actually going to complete a goal in my life): Get up early. If I ever want to get in shape, be a productive person, teach myself crafts, and have a more personal walk with God, I need a few more hours of "doing time." And this time shouldn't be at night when any time I make a sound, I fear for the sounds of one of my parents getting out of bed to tell me to be quiet. This being said, I'm making it public. I'm gunna blog about it. Because, well, I've never been much of a blogger. Journalist? Diary-writer? None of that. Never described me. But alas, in this venture of doing things that I have previously said I would never be good at, I'm gunna blog about this goal. I'm not saying every day, because let's face it, this is me we're talking about here. I'm starting tomorrow morning. 6 am.....this hurts just thinking about it.

Favorites: 6 years of middle school camp

Alright, I went sentimental. I looked back at all my pictures from middle school summer camp. And I missed it. Joking with my dad last night over funny experiences in our life made me realize how many moments at camp I love. Even though the timing is a bit off, after 6 years (maybe 7?), I want to share my favorite things/moments about camp. Call me crazy, call me a dork, I don't care :)

1. Shopping for rec supplies
2. Chaos in the office
3. Packing the truck
4. The drive up there
5. Coming over that hill, seeing the sign, and being amazed that they got me to do this again...
6. My rec leaders
7. The golf carts and the many good conversations that happen on them
8. Putting my rec leaders through seemingly meaningless tasks under lack of sleep to judge their character :)
9. Waking up each morning knowing I get to have fun with kids
10. Sitting in the background and watching relationships be developed
11. Finding random things behind the stage
12. Unnerved by the fact that Camp Geneva never throws anything away
13. (This past year only) Having all the family ministry pastors and families there for just a few days
14. Late night sonic runs and graveyard raids
15. (This past year only) Talking to Sean Rose about college life (and listening to Garfield give him the secrets of Liberty and dorm room etiquette)
16. Rec team homemade videos
17. Coordinating super hero costumes
18. The worship team
19. Watching family groups walk to devotions
20. Laughing at the awkwardness of middle schoolers
21. Watching family groups go anywhere and seeing 2 tall people surrounded by a gaggle of little people. Reminds me of 2 parent ducks walking with their babies.
22. Watching middle schoolers interact with each other in a safe environment while also being bathed in the word by strong adult and student leaders and want them to grow in their personal relationship with Christ.
23. Middle school boys covered head to toe in red paint
24. Not being able to believe my eyes when I see Natalie on stage with a green wig and glasses being a complete goof with the kids.
25. Bringing together complete strangers for my rec team and watching them come to love each other over the course of a week, not letting social norms dictate how they treat each other but rather letting love dictate how they treat each other
26. Probably my favorite thing about camp is seeing time after time, God's amazing power to show up and be that strength when I know that I and the rest of the camp leadership, are weak.