No Purple!! Unless of course you have a license to do so!!

I have to share a highlight from camp last week.  Old Oak Ranch youth camps have had this age old tradition of teaching the teens to keep their hands to themselves and other parts as well while at camp for the week. They tell the boys and girls that we shouldn't know that you have a boyfriend or girlfriend here for the week by the way you  are physically acting with each other, that they should treat each other like brother sister, and they do this by showing this little video with cartoon like characters where the boys are blue and the girls are pink and if they get too close to each other they make purple. There is no purpling at camp. So if you are walking along and see a boy and girl being friendly you can just easily say, No Purpling and they should stand up and salute you to let you know they are tracking (or something like that) If you don't know why they would enforce this rule with over 300 teens pumped full of hormones than you are either an idiot or have never been around a teenager!!

So last week on Thursday night we were all huddled together in our camp t-shirts for a camp photo down by the Victory circle. I was sitting with my four girls to the left and a youth group from Chico to the right. There was a boy and girl who were obviously not brother and sister and they were enjoying very much that we were getting so close for this photo opt. I was keeping a half eye on them as well as eaves dropping and the girl said at one point, "Well if you want I could just sit in your lap and then there would be more room for a whole other person" at which point she started to make purple. I said, "Hey you two No purpling" to which they took their proper positions and then all their friends started laughing and saying, " Dude you have purple on your nose!" Apparently, the girls glow stick that was in her hair leaked a bit on his nose when she was trying to get in his lap and he had a bright spot of purple glowing on his nose. I laughed so hard with all of them and said,  "See , that's what you get for trying to purple here at church camp!" I told them thank you for the laugh and that I would be taking that one home with me. 

I told Moses this story after which we made lots of purple :) hee hee hee!!!

A workout during worship

My calves are sore. I must have walked up and down the Old Oak Ranch camp hill at least 100 times in the last week or so. But, that is not why my calves are sore, they are aching from jumping up and down during worship this week. I can't remember when this last happened to me but it reminds me of many moons ago when I was young and every worship time I had , even privately was an athletic event. 

There is something truly special about gathering together with perfect strangers for one purpose, to worship Jesus.  It is even more special when 99% of those people are in their teens and have a whole new way to worship, an expression completely original, untainted, and not at all apprehended by their peers around them. 

To hear 300 plus teenagers worshiping Jesus in every way possible and every way imaginable , with all their beautiful gifts of expression is something I truly , truly enjoy. 

God I pray for more and more freedom in worship in days ahead. I pray for all those incredibly gifted teenagers who are world changers to continue to use their gifts and talents for you and you alone.  I pray that I won't soon forget that you are worthy of worship like this. And I am thankful to you Jesus for this wonderful week.

A bruised reed He will not break, A smoldering wick He will not snuff out

It is good to be reminded that no matter what lies ahead or behind Jesus has got my back. I remember just a few months ago being so full of hope. Hope for the future, hope for dismal situations. Hope for the pessimist and the optimist. Hope enough to make the world go round. Some things between now and then have happened and it not as though I am hopeless by any means, it 's just I feel like a bit of the wind  of hope has been taken from my sails and I am barely moving across the ocean in my sailboat of hope.

 Yet, today something happened that reminded me to keep hoping in Christ for all things in my life. I prayed a prayer for a simple need and in less that 10 minutes it was answered.  It reminded and convicted me that I have not because I ask not. There are so many times that I move so quickly from having a need, to then being anxious about that need, to then trying to figure out how to meet that need myself, when all the while I never even stopped to ask for help. Why is it that I forget to ask Jesus for help? He longs to help me.

 This  reminds me of how God placed Moses in the cleft of the rock so he could display the magnitude of His glory better. I often think that in times when His help is most needed and I don't ask for it , it disappoints God.  I believe He longs for the opportunities where He can prove himself faithful again and again to me.  I believe He loves me so much that even the simplest of needs is important to Him.  I believe that He is who he says He is and His promises are true and reliable and can be taken to the bank.  

For Auntie Jenny

Yes you too can act silly and take pictures of it to entertain yourselves on any given Saturday.... If you have a Mac Laptop :)  Thanks for the idea Auntie we had fun posing.

I just wanted to keep typing, I could type all day!!

I am sitting here wanting so much to blog about something but not really having a good topic to even consider typing. This has never stopped me before. Why should it stop me now.  I don't think I will let it. 

So here are some more random thoughts -

My book status is in a standstill right now because I have been debating whether or not to pay money to have it professionally edited. One agency says that I should and the other hasn't mentioned it yet. I am leaning toward not. I have it illustrated now (Thanks Mr. Big) but I don't know how to send the illustrations effectively. Up until this point everything has been through emails and phone calls. So it sits in my computer unpublished until I have the energy to move forward.

I leave again for High School camp on Sunday. This might be my last camp for a while which makes me sad. I really do enjoy teenagers and hanging out with them is really a good time for me. Getting to hear about their hopes and dreams for the future is always interesting. To see a young person turning into not so young a person, right before your  eyes is really amazing to me. Time flies when you are having fun. I think about the teens that I was able to know and lead back in the day and now they all have families, careers, and still keep in touch from time to time. I don't think I will be long from this break from the youths. They are all just too much fun.  Course,  I could get really old, irrelevant and boring to them and then I might just have to reconsider but I doubt it.  Anyway, if I wait long enough I will have teens of my own. YIKES!! 

I was reading in Malachi yesterday and was amazed at what stood out to me this time. It is not a hard book to read all the way being that it is very short but it is however a hard book to read in that it is full of convictions and harsh warnings for leaders. It spoke to me in a whole new way and I love that about THE BOOK.  So living and active.  You never get the same things twice when reading anything from the bible. 

I am enjoying sitting on my bed and being on the computer. Yipee, to having a laptop for the first time. I could really get used to this. I think I will. Oh to be a writer and get paid for this, wait.... I am working on that. What a dream come true that would be for this Frederick the field mouse.

Isaiah had another funny quote yesterday,   "Mom if I give you all my money in my pocket(which consisted of some pennies and a I think a dime) could you please make it my birthday today!"  Oh to be a kid again. 

Well, I am off to get some new running shoes and luggage. After my European tour my orange bags just couldn't make another trip. So much for buying luggage on Ebay.

Ode to my Sister Jen

My older sister Jenny accomplished what many, many people would never attempt on a good day- she has finished and finished well, her first triathlon.  When I read her update and saw the pics of her on her blog I cried. I read it again to my kiddos and again I cried. I am getting awful emotional in my old age. I just cannot even begin to say how proud I am of her for this. I remember when she was home last summer and the thought first crossed her mind to do this. She just was looking for something to keep her motivated to exercise and also something to keep her busy since she knew she wouldn't be home for a year.  So what does one do when needing a hobby, or motivation to exercise- but of course sign up to do a tri !! She is an inspiration to me in more ways than one and here's to her job well done. Jenny I love you and as your lil sis I couldn't have a better friend to look up to. You ROCK!!

Isaiah Gregory Quote

Today when I sent Isaiah to timeout he said to me -
Zay- "Mom you need to say what Gwamma Ellen says to me"
Me- "Really what's that ?"
Zay- "She says to me, Isaiah you need to sit an wa flect"
Me- "Reflect, huh what does that mean?
Zay- "It means to sit on my belly"
Me- Laughing, "Well you sit there and do alot of reflecting and I will tell you when you can get up"

Nice try mom but he really didn't get that Montessori lesson :)

Just some random thoughts

When I went grocery shopping last night I had a pretty big revelation about God. It's one of those ones that you can't really explain and I am hoping I am not the only one who knows what I am talking about. Something like, trying to explain what love is or how it feels , you can make attempts at it but it really never suffices. It was good to hear something from Him. Sometimes He can be really quiet.

Then I went for a 4 mile walk around the marina very late and realized some more profound thoughts. I love having friends that I can openly talk with, about everything. Sometimes for whatever reason I have felt like I have had a muzzle on my mouth and with the closest friends this shouldn't be. You should always be able to talk openly with close friends. Don't you agree?

Today is my sister Gina and Izzy's third wedding anniversary, and every time I hear the song, Whoa Amber is the Color of your Energy(this is not the songs title just some words from it).... I think of them. In fact last time that song came on Solomon said, "Hey, that song is from Gina and Izzy's wedding, I wish we could go back to that day." I know what he means, some days are just locked in the treasure chest of time as so beautiful and that is one of them. Congratulations you guys, you are a beautiful family.

The summer is half way over and this just makes me terribly sad. I am not one of those moms who can't wait for their kids to go back to school. I LOVE having my kiddos home. I love that we can all sleep in and basically do whatever we want everyday of the summer. I think this is why teaching will be the ideal job for me because I can continue to have my summers off with my children and enjoy every second.

Speaking of teaching - I am actually beginning to get excited about going back to teaching again. I love teaching little people that is. I don't do as well with the bigger people, or at least I don't consider myself a teacher of bigger people because I am always learning from them instead of the other way around.

Well, that is all the random thoughts for today folks. Enjoy. Leave some love.

Tattooes 1, 2, and 3

So there is a new tattoo artist in town here are his very first tattooes ever!!

New Tattoo

I got my third tatoo today. A sunflower on my left hand pointer finger. Hurt like a mother licker!! It sure does look pretty though. I will try to post pics soon. Mo's art or Mo z art is up and running though, who's next?

So Spacious

"So spacious is Christ, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe-people and things, animals and atoms-get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies." Colossians 1:19-20 MSG

I am feeling this scripture this morning. I know God will help us find our proper place in this stage in life. I now have moved beyond my fears of the future and I am feeling excited for what lies ahead. I am happy I serve a God who has not only cared about my every detail in life but has made my way , my journey, my path in life good. I am happy that in God's kingdom or family there is room for so many people, so many personalities, so many ways to walk out this thing we called Christianity. I am looking forward to hearing once again those vibrant harmonies. I am glad he is fixing all my brokenness. He is a good God and I am so fortunate to know Him. His mercies are new every morning.

Changes 2, 3,4,5 and 6

Moses resigned from Hillside, last Monday. Still don't know how I feel about this.

My books are being illustrated and one agency is reviewing the manuscript even as we speak.

Moses Mom's Restaraunt Equipment is being shipped out from Mississippi, and will be waiting for us in Northern CA. until we are ready to be business owners.

My oldest daughter is showing signs of pre-adolescence and I don't know how I feel about that.

My youngest child will be 4 in 27 days which means that I don't have a baby anymore, which is just very strange, great, but strange.

I think that just about covers it.

Change is good right?

Change #1

Tattoo equipment for Moses is on it's way. The next permanent ink I will get on my skin will be put there from Mr. Big. Can't wait to wear his artwork. How cool is that!!