Ashlyn's Graduation

Waiting to walk to the platform. Next to her was Tyler. Thought you would like to know that Shannon. Sorry it is blurry.


Afterwards.....

The First Week

Well, the first week was pretty much the same as the first day. Oh so wonderful and exhausting. The counselors are the best. Seriously. They all put in everything they had into the week and exercised unconditional love and patience. There were a few crazy moments like fights, parents sending their kids to aquatics camp and telling them not to swim that day, bloody noses, and me calling out the wrong kid to talk to him about his misbehavior. Um, yeah, I told the wrong kid that if he kept acting the way he was, then he would not be back at camp next week. That was embarrassing.
The theme for the week as "Mad Science" so we built rockets, made slim, and talked about some miracles of Jesus. For the last day, I made an eyeball cake that I was way too proud of, but even with that realization, I think it looked amazing.
Monday starts a new week of camp.
As always, prayers are greatly appreciated, so keep on.

Camp Started Today...

...and it was wonderful. Crazy and hectic and tiring, but wonderful. And it flew by. I cannot believe that I get to spend my summer doing this. It was great.

Oh and for those of you who do not know, I am coordinating the Aquatics Day Camp at the Y this summer. All of my counselors have worked at Camp Hope at some point or another. We have 50+ kids a week for 11 weeks. And we get to share the gospel with these kids. I am talking, Bible stories, song singing, and even talking to them individually. How much of a God-thing is that? Tis amazing!

Ever see the show "Kids say the Darnedest Things"? Well, that pretty much sums up what most of today was like. Like on the kids telling me my wig (hair) was dripping. Or one little boy saying that he did not know why the girls went pee in the bathroom when they could just go in the pool. Yup, yup, fun times.

Well, the battery on this computer is almost dead and I want some sleep, but I wanted to write a bit about today. So if it ever comes to mind this summer, please be praying for us. Pray that eternity will be impacted for good because some parents decided to send their kids to get sunbur for the week

Drive-In Movie

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act."

Spontaneity

Monday night around eight, I decided that I should go to camp to see The Ezekiel Project. I was on the road half an hour later I went to my dad's that night slept for a few hours, and then was out the door shortly after seven.


He lives a little over thirty minutes from camp. Every time I turn onto the road that is marked with the sign that reads "Camp Hope 1 Mile --->" my heart skips a few beats faster as my adrenaline starts to pump. And then I am just plain giddy. Enough about that. I saw everyone and was back in Augusta a little before twelve for a meeting. Yeah. Quick trip. But worth it.

Some roommates

Any time I look at the ocean, this becomes the song of my heart.

How Great Thou Art!

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling/mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r thru-out the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

And it happened again when I looked at the ocean earlier today. As a storm was brewing all around, I sat in the shallow water, let the waves lap up around me, and searched for itty bitty shells in the sand. Without a worry. And in awe of the ocean, the storm, and the shells. how thankful I am to sing, "Oh, Lord, my God."

You know you are cheap when...

...you use the bathroom at someone else's house before you go home so that you don't use up your toilet paper.

...

Conversation

Tonight at the park, I kept a watchful eye on the swings watching for one to become available. After what seemed like hours, one opened up. After I had been swinging for a while the swing next to me opened up and a girl of about three claimed it. The following was our conversation.....

Girl: "Are you my sister's teacher?"

Me: "No, I don't think I am. I am not a teacher.:

Girl: "Well have you ever been a teacher?"

Me: "No."

Girl: "Why not?"

Me: "I don't know. I guess I could be if I wanted to be."

Girl: "Well, do you want to be one?"

Me: "Not right now. Right now I want to be a kid."

Girl: "Oh...."

Me: "So do you have a name?"

Girl: "Yes. " *a brief minute later* "You can call me Olivia."

Me: "Well is that your name?"

Girl: "No, but that is what you can call me."

The Answer

Psalms 121 has been very dear to my heart for several years. Anytime I need a breath of fresh air from the Lord, I go to that little Psalm. Whenever a storm comes, that is where I go for comfort. It starts off, "I will lift mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help?" And that is pretty much what I do when things are hard...look around and ask where I can get help....wondering if it will ever come or if it would just be best to throw in the towel now instead of keeping on. The answer comes next, "My help cometh from the Lord..."

Well, this morning I read this Psalm again and thought of the time that I had searched the hills for help, and the Lord was there to answer. Well, then I went across the page and read Psalms 123:1 "Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens."

And then I realized, all those "hard times" in my life where I have "lifted my eyes" to the hills for help and the Lord was there....well those times, those times God has been using to cause me to look to Him. Directly to Him. No more searching the hills. He has proven Himself to be my Provider, Protector, Comforter. There is no longer a need to search the hills. I have found my Help, my Sustainer.

Grandma's Glasses

Dinner. Fancy Style.

In honor of Adam's graduation. It was lovely. Thank you Papa and Grandma.

Adam's Graduation

Play

Goofy Girls

Final Pictures

Hiking

A Small Thing

Today Aggie and I were in the car together when I spotted a fresh produce stand. I had been hoping to find one close. Ya know, fresh fruit, helping out local people, and its normally cheaper than the supermarket. We turned around to go back and as son as we got in there, the man introduced himself. He said since I had just moved to town that I get a free pound of tomatoes. I was pretty excited about that, but the generosity just kept on going from there. We left the tomatoes, lemons, plums, a cantaloupe, a watermelon, a pepper, and apples. All for $2. As we were leaving, Aggie said, "The Lord has proved Himself faithful yet again!!"



Yes, yes, it is true. He is faithful in so many ways. We were pretty excited but I agree with David when he talked about the Lord making a covenant with him.... "And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God...." II Samuel 7:19a


And for those of you local Augusta people, the fruit market is on Davis Road between the bridge that crosses over I-20 and Washington Road. If you are heading toward Washington Road, it is on the right.