Just in case anyone was wondering ... she's home!
She has already told us 1000 stories of the great time she had at camp. I can remember how important camp was to me growing up, and it's no surprise that my daughter already treasures the experience she has just had.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
I sent my first-born to camp today
I sent my first-born child to camp today. I can't say that I felt the sense of 'this is so wrong' I felt when we dropped her off for her first day of school - but nonetheless, it's a bit scary!
I mean, for a whole week she will be under the influence of veritable strangers! Sure they are well-meaning Christians that have cleared all the necessary requirements for A/G camps - but - really ... those people are CRAZY!
My daughter is going to be running, screaming, sliding in mud, stuffing her face with foods from undeciferable animal parts, meeting innumerable immature children (& teens), sleeping in army barracks with communal bathrooms - it just feels wrong to leave an individual that God Himself entrusted to me to protect & nurture!
Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I crazy? Or so crazy that I'm brilliant! :O
Regardless, I know she's going to have a blast. She's going to come home a little bit older, a little bit wiser - but more than anything, a little bit closer in her walk with a wonderful Lord and Savior named Jesus.
Jesus - please watch over my little girl this week. May she make wonderful new friends and have the time of her life. But, please touch her this week. May she come to know you a little more. May she know you in her worship. May she know you in her prayers. May she know You are there with her wherever she goes and whatever she does. Become more real to her this week. In Your name I pray. Amen.
I mean, for a whole week she will be under the influence of veritable strangers! Sure they are well-meaning Christians that have cleared all the necessary requirements for A/G camps - but - really ... those people are CRAZY!
My daughter is going to be running, screaming, sliding in mud, stuffing her face with foods from undeciferable animal parts, meeting innumerable immature children (& teens), sleeping in army barracks with communal bathrooms - it just feels wrong to leave an individual that God Himself entrusted to me to protect & nurture!
Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I crazy? Or so crazy that I'm brilliant! :O
Regardless, I know she's going to have a blast. She's going to come home a little bit older, a little bit wiser - but more than anything, a little bit closer in her walk with a wonderful Lord and Savior named Jesus.
Jesus - please watch over my little girl this week. May she make wonderful new friends and have the time of her life. But, please touch her this week. May she come to know you a little more. May she know you in her worship. May she know you in her prayers. May she know You are there with her wherever she goes and whatever she does. Become more real to her this week. In Your name I pray. Amen.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
It was Fair
We did something today that I haven't done since I lived in Missouri (pronounced miz-oo-rah) ... I went to the fair!
There was elephant ears (funnel cake, beaver tail - seems every community has another name for the same thing!), line-dancing, vendors, games of chance, salesmen/women, animals, and of course RIDES!
I can remember a time that I loved going to amusement parks. There wasn't a roller-coaster I wouldn't ride, a toss'em turn'em throw'em ride that I wouldn't venture to board. Goes high? I'm flying! Goes fast? Let'er rip! Getting wet? Douse me good! Amusement parks were just great.
So, for starters at the Fair, since I was taking my 4 year old for the first time - I figured I should start with something tame like the Ferris Wheel.
I thought I was going to puke.
Yes, that's right - puke. Before we had even done one lap - it stopped and we were at the very top as they let new riders board the 'Spinning Wheel from Hades' as I thought it should have been called. I'm holding my son down, he shows me where my hands are supposed to go - on the bar in front of me. I'm trying not to look down cuz I feel like we are SO far up. I begin to look at the 'Contraption That Passes for Entertainment' as I thought it should have been called, and notice the rusty joints and the ancient technology (rubber tires are turning this 'One More Season Until Retirement Ride' as I thought it should have been called).
Sure enough, but not soon enough, the ride resumed and we proceeded to go round and round about 1,000,000 times and we were allowed to disembark.
Am I really THAT uncool now? No wonder my parents never wanted to go on any rides at LaRonde(Montreal) or WildWood(NJ boardwalk). From then on, I understood why parents and grandparents and caregivers alike all are quite happy to pay the price of admission and then stand back and watch everyone else enjoy the rides.
All in all though - we have a wonderful day at the County Fair. A good time was had by all and I'm already looking forward to the next time we get to go.
There was elephant ears (funnel cake, beaver tail - seems every community has another name for the same thing!), line-dancing, vendors, games of chance, salesmen/women, animals, and of course RIDES!
I can remember a time that I loved going to amusement parks. There wasn't a roller-coaster I wouldn't ride, a toss'em turn'em throw'em ride that I wouldn't venture to board. Goes high? I'm flying! Goes fast? Let'er rip! Getting wet? Douse me good! Amusement parks were just great.
So, for starters at the Fair, since I was taking my 4 year old for the first time - I figured I should start with something tame like the Ferris Wheel.
I thought I was going to puke.
Yes, that's right - puke. Before we had even done one lap - it stopped and we were at the very top as they let new riders board the 'Spinning Wheel from Hades' as I thought it should have been called. I'm holding my son down, he shows me where my hands are supposed to go - on the bar in front of me. I'm trying not to look down cuz I feel like we are SO far up. I begin to look at the 'Contraption That Passes for Entertainment' as I thought it should have been called, and notice the rusty joints and the ancient technology (rubber tires are turning this 'One More Season Until Retirement Ride' as I thought it should have been called).
Sure enough, but not soon enough, the ride resumed and we proceeded to go round and round about 1,000,000 times and we were allowed to disembark.
Am I really THAT uncool now? No wonder my parents never wanted to go on any rides at LaRonde(Montreal) or WildWood(NJ boardwalk). From then on, I understood why parents and grandparents and caregivers alike all are quite happy to pay the price of admission and then stand back and watch everyone else enjoy the rides.
All in all though - we have a wonderful day at the County Fair. A good time was had by all and I'm already looking forward to the next time we get to go.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
4th of July, 2008
I don't know how many times I've been involved in a church-type of event where we have planned/hoped for a full-house only to be disappointed. Clearly, I've just been involved in the wrong type of events!
Only July 4th we figured it would be fun to have a fireworks display at the church. I mean, we are LIBERTY Assembly located in LIBERTY Township and going with a church tag-line of 'My Freedom Place'. What better place to have fireworks than right at our church!
We did the usual - did all the free community paper ads we could find, made post-card flyers that we delivered to the homes in the neighborhood. But, that's about it - other than word of mouth.
We had a MINIMUM of 200 cars show up for the evening and assuming an average of 3 people per car (and I suspect that is a low estimate) - that means we had at least 600 people! I'm guessing that the max number would have been around 900 so realistically 700 is a good, realistic estimate.
Sure we didn't preach a sermon. We didn't hand out tracks. We didn't even give away any food (we sold it!). But we did do one thing - instead of people driving by our church in their typical auto-pilot state, they will now drive by our church thinking 'that's where we saw those 4th of July fireworks'.
I hope we can keep doing things that put our church back on the community map! If we are on their map, maybe they will stop in some time!
Only July 4th we figured it would be fun to have a fireworks display at the church. I mean, we are LIBERTY Assembly located in LIBERTY Township and going with a church tag-line of 'My Freedom Place'. What better place to have fireworks than right at our church!
We did the usual - did all the free community paper ads we could find, made post-card flyers that we delivered to the homes in the neighborhood. But, that's about it - other than word of mouth.
We had a MINIMUM of 200 cars show up for the evening and assuming an average of 3 people per car (and I suspect that is a low estimate) - that means we had at least 600 people! I'm guessing that the max number would have been around 900 so realistically 700 is a good, realistic estimate.
Sure we didn't preach a sermon. We didn't hand out tracks. We didn't even give away any food (we sold it!). But we did do one thing - instead of people driving by our church in their typical auto-pilot state, they will now drive by our church thinking 'that's where we saw those 4th of July fireworks'.
I hope we can keep doing things that put our church back on the community map! If we are on their map, maybe they will stop in some time!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
I am sweaty - Oh so sweaty ...
I knew it!
It didn't make sense, but the other day I couldn't believe the amount of sweat that was pouring from my body. In a matter of minutes in the heat, it appeared as though I had run through a sprinkler.
And now I know why ... Youngstown is sweaty!
In an article found on MSNBC's website, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25391565/from/ET/>1=43001 - it lists the top 100 sweaty cities is the US, and just making the cut is Youngstown, Ohio at 93. Sure, you say - 93 isn't top 10 or even top 50 - but when you consider how many major cities there are in the US and how far north Youngstown is relative to most cities ... this is quite the achievement!
So, now Youngstonians can add sweaty to their list of examples of incliment weather patterns found locally - right after cloudy, rainy, stormy, snowy & coldy.
It didn't make sense, but the other day I couldn't believe the amount of sweat that was pouring from my body. In a matter of minutes in the heat, it appeared as though I had run through a sprinkler.
And now I know why ... Youngstown is sweaty!
In an article found on MSNBC's website, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25391565/from/ET/>1=43001 - it lists the top 100 sweaty cities is the US, and just making the cut is Youngstown, Ohio at 93. Sure, you say - 93 isn't top 10 or even top 50 - but when you consider how many major cities there are in the US and how far north Youngstown is relative to most cities ... this is quite the achievement!
So, now Youngstonians can add sweaty to their list of examples of incliment weather patterns found locally - right after cloudy, rainy, stormy, snowy & coldy.
I lost June!
Time flies!
I received a friendly reminder today that I haven't blogged in a while ... to my own shock and amazement - not 1 post in June!
Well, that is simply unacceptable. Admittedly, I haven't been all that inspired lately. Not that there hasn't been anything interesting to talk about - but - that things have been so busy I haven't stopped for a breath to journal my thoughts.
So, from here on out - I'll make sure I post something at least once per week.
Thanks for still dropping by and checking out this space!
I received a friendly reminder today that I haven't blogged in a while ... to my own shock and amazement - not 1 post in June!
Well, that is simply unacceptable. Admittedly, I haven't been all that inspired lately. Not that there hasn't been anything interesting to talk about - but - that things have been so busy I haven't stopped for a breath to journal my thoughts.
So, from here on out - I'll make sure I post something at least once per week.
Thanks for still dropping by and checking out this space!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
