Happy Holidays!!!

Some of you may think that I'm confused, but I assure you I'm not. Tomorrow is my favorite holiday. Last year, some helpers and I wrapped the offices of the director and asst. director. I don't mean desk, but their entire offices (chair, computer, mouse, keyboard, bookshelves, in box, etc.) I actually didn't have a great idea of this year, so was just going to make some brownies and make them wonder what was wrong with them. But my best friend, Bekah, had a friend that had a great idea......so I stole it. Everyone was off the campground today except my partner in crime, so it really helped to get it all done.


Here it is!


All of these little cups are filled with water. We didn't do the entire floor....just enough to keep them from getting in.


We even put some around their chairs.

Our maintenance supervisor doesn't have an office, so I had to find something else to do. This will be the first year that I have included him in the fun. To be honest, I'm scared of him. He will probably actually retaliate and it will be bigger than what I did I'm sure. This might be the only year I include him.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and hope you are inspired to have your own fun as well!

Memorization In Motion

My church has started a new memorization program. We memorize one verse a week and meet with the accountability partner we have been paired with. I have been paired with Pamela Betz. Her dad is the director of the camp where I work and we both live right on the campground, so it makes it easy to get together. It is a joy to meet with her and discuss our verses. The last two weeks I have actually been able to say mine before her, which is quite an accomplishment. (I think it has to do with the fact that she is working on two chapters in Revelation for Talents for Christ.)

It really has been wonderful to work on memorizing God's Word. This is an area where I have been sorely lacking. It is great motivation to have a partner. I think since I have started, I have noticed how often I think of the scripture throughout the day. This is what meditation is all about.

As a camp staff we are working on Isaiah 40:27-31. This passage in particular has meant a lot lately as I seek to wait on the Lord. He has a much better plan for my life than I do.

Well, here is a picture of my partner, Pamela. Hope this inspires you to memorize as well!

Road Trip

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a road trip, but it certainly was a fun weekend. First on our trip was my friend Sabrina's wedding. She was my secretary for two summers at IRBC and I love her dearly! I had the joy of being the wedding coordinator, so I carried a clipboard and got into my organized mood. It was a beautiful wedding. Great job, Sabs and congratulations!!!

Next on our trip was a deputation meeting for Bekah. We headed to Prairie Flower Baptist Church in Washington, IA. We had a great time with the Pastor and his wife and the church people as well. There are probably five families in the church that are regular family campers attenders, so it was fun to catch up with them. It was especially neat to see Bekah do her presentation. I look forward to the day when I'm visiting her on the mission field of Japan.

We probably shouldn't have taken this picture while Bekah was driving, but it turned out pretty good and no accidents!!! On the way back home, we stopped in Waterloo to go to Olive Garden. It's my favorite restaurant and this is the closest one. Since we stopped there, we didn't make it back in time to go to my church, so we stopped in Charles City. I grew up there, so it was pretty neat to see everyone.

Bekah and I had so much fun, we decided we have to do a road trip again sometime.

Candy Please

The younger camp kids like to come in and raid my candy supply. So I buy a big bag once in awhile and also have lots of leftovers from the summer as well. The summer stuff is getting pretty bad, so I really need to buy some new stuff for them.

I told them they could have two pieces if they they let me take their picture and smiled nice. The key was the smiling. Some of them don't like their picture taken.

Just a couple days ago they came in for their candy and lined up and gave me hugs. It was so sweet. Little James Betz was the only one with enough guts though to admit that they wanted "big candy" (left overs from the concession stand during the summer). This made me laugh. They didn't get "big candy" that day, but I did let them have two pieces of the other. I'll take the hugs even if they are trying to butter me up.

Front: Isaiah, Sierra, James Back: Samantha, Sola

Pure silliness!

Cake Decorating

I am currently taking Course 3 in cake decorating being offered at my church. My friend, Laura, was interested in attending so we both decided to take the class. Personally, I am not one of those people that enjoys tedious tasks like crafts, stamping, scrapbooking, etc. I was a little skeptical as to whether I would enjoy it or not. Well...believe it or not - I do! Here are a couple pictures of cakes I've done. We are currently learning how to decorate with fondant. I personally like making cakes with the good old buttercream frosting better.

B-day cake for my friend, Kari

Joy, Joy, Joy

I named this post as such because I'm writing about the thing that brings me such great joy. On Wednesday nights at church, I teach the Jr. Girls Class. I have had this honor now for three years and I absolutely love it!!!!

My desire is to cultivate in my girls a passion for the Word of God and to live for Him. I tell them that the Bible is the most exciting book in the world. Every week I get up and they say, "We know, this lesson is going to be so exciting." There was a week when I was gone and when I came back the next week, one of my helpers had them look up other words for me to use besides exciting. It was a pretty good list, but I guess I'm stuck on the word.


This year, we have started our devotion charts. I printed up a little booklet for them to write their devotions in for the week. They get to put a sticker up on on their chart if they had their devotions every day that week. (We do allow one grace day.) I want them to get in the habit of being in God's Word when they are young. They have really done a great job!


Five of them will be moving up to youth group next year and I will miss them so much. I pray that they apply the things they have learned and as they grow physically, they also grow spiritually. I also look forward to the new girls coming up. The responsibility of teaching these girls humbles me greatly, but it is honestly one of my greatest joys. I love you girls!

Here we are in front of their devotion charts. Back row: Me, Ansley, Regan (twins - I hope I put them in the right order), Samantha, Linda, Stacey. Front Row: Hillary, Janette, Jenna and Trudy. Nicole and Lydia are missing from the picture.

Silly shot

Crew Time (working on their books)

Bahama Mamas

I recently had the experience of a lifetime! My parents celebrated their 35th anniversary and decided to give an extraordinary gift to their children. They took my brother, sister-in-law, me and my best friend (Bekah) on a Southern Gospel Cruise to the Bahamas! It was absolutely incredible. Here are some pictures to make you all jealous! (Although we did come back to a blizzard with the worst driving conditions I've ever experienced. And I did come back and have to spend half the next week in bed because I got sick.) Many of my friends teased that this would be when I met a man. Well, I will have you know that almost every man on the cruise was older than my father. So I may have met a lot of men, just not ones that I would consider my type. I prefer at least some hair or hair that isn't white. Thanks Mom and Dad for such a wonderful time!!! I love you!



We looked pretty hot during the lifeboat drill. All those old guys were wishing they were 30 years younger!

This is our cozy group at the captain's dinner. Left to right: Scott, Jamie, Bekah, Me, Mom & Dad. We are quite the lookers!

Our passports are in order - I promise!!



My brother joined in the evening show put on by the waiters at dinner. Go, Scott!

Paradise!

Mediocre Blogger

I looked up mediocre in the dictionary and here is what I found: "of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate; rather poor or inferior." I just want you to know what you are getting into by reading my blog. I'm going to admit it upfront - I'm going to be the worst blogger ever. I'm not creative in my writing and don't have all those clever things to express about life. But here I go anyway. I have been inspired by my friends, Mary Ann and Kelly, who both have that creative cleverness. This goes out to you.