Isn't it Nostalgic???

Okay, to start off, this blog will be a lot like my personality: pretty much all or nothing! I hate that I'm like that, but it is the way God made me. I've stopped trying to fight it; instead, I'm trying to make my personality and tendencies work for me and my family. But how this relates to the blog...you'll probably see a pattern that goes something like this: no entries, 3 entries in 1 day, no entries, 2 entries in a few days. Oh well, so I may be not updating in the exact present, but I'm going to do the best I can!

Last week was awesome - I got to be a counselor at El Porvenir, the camp our church has used for years and years. I actually went there as a kid, and the last time I went there was 1996 for a young adult retreat.

What made this trip special was it was what we call 'First Chance Camp' or 3rd Grade camp. Camryn's first time at camp!! It was so fun to experience the place with her and to see the old dining hall and old cabins we used to stay in as kids. We went on a hike to Bear's Cave - the short hike at El Porvenir. The kids did great! I was so proud of Camryn. When we started out, I told her, jokingly, that I didn't want to hear any griping! But I really enjoyed hiking with her - she was awesome! I really just enjoyed her, period. She obviously appreciated me being there, and she told me while we were waiting for the next activity, "Mom, I don't want you to ever change. I don't mean how you look, I mean how you act and how fun you are." I thought that was way cool, and it was a definite reminder of what is really important to me in my life!

The theme for the camp was TRANSFORMERS: Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - Romans 12: 2. What a good reminder for all of us. It seems like more times than not, I am faced with a decision of whether I'm going to conform to the world or transform into what God would have me do. Since December of 2007 I have definitely seen a pattern of things happen in our lives where I have been called to stand up for what was right - not always the easiest thing to do! I have lost a lot of sleep, a few friends, and sadly, I got a bit transfixed, at times, on my circumstances instead of focusing my eyes on things above. Isn't it crazy how we tend to do that? Great mistakes are made when we choose to idolize our circumstance (selfish priorities) instead of keeping our focus. Isn't it crazy that we can know full well a cure for an ailment, but we choose to waller in the mud instead? One thing I want to ask God when I get Home is, "Why is it that very often, human nature was in direct paradox compared to what we should do?" His answer would probably have something to do with the fact that as we learn to use self-control and not indulge our fleshly desires and selfish pursuits, we become more of what He needs us to be. Gosh, I hate it when I can easily rationalize why life isn't all down hill! Just imagine if it was - would we ever take the harder, unsure road? Would we always expect things to come easily? Would we ever need God to pull us up a steep slope? I think I know myself well enough to know what I'd do - I'd waller in the ease of life! And worse, I'd probably think that my good fortune was a direct result of something I did - I'm just lucky or really good! So there is your little lesson about why we must all go through hard times with hard decisions, mostly uphill, just in case you were wondering!

I'll post some pictures of El Porvenir soon - we had to take a disposable camera, so I will have to scan them.

Thank you, Camryn, for being an awesome girl who doesn't CONFORM to this world very often. I see in you such a sweet spirit! And I, too, hope you never change!!!