The Cure For Summer Mopiness...

The beginning of our summer is filled with a plethora of activity. No wonder the kids are always so excited for summer to begin. But perhaps you can relate to our end of summer mopiness... when camp is over, the company has all gone home, the games and toys have all been played with a number of times, and the newness of the pool and waterpark have gone. When the moping begins and the words "I'm bored" pass across their lips.

What do you do to cure their summer mopiness?

I read this somewhere and it made me laugh. It soon became a "rule" for our family. "Everything in life is either fun or boring. Choose to do fun things. If you are bored... STOP, and do something fun!"

In our home Dad has added on to this "rule"....

If you don't choose to do something fun Quickly, then... Everything in life becomes either fun, boring, or miserable.....

Warning: This method is only effective for teens and pre-teens. Younger kids seem to think pulling weeds is extremely fun!

For more "works for me" ideas... head over to We Are That Family.

I have an old friend visiting me from Arkansas this weekend. I love old friends who just click even when time has passed since you've seen them. This trip she brought one of her friends with her who I had not met before. Last night after my old friend had gone to bed, her friend and I sat up visiting into the wee hours of the morning. Her friend is now my new friend. I LOVE new friends! Hope you will become one also.....

How losing my hearing helps me to hear...

Hi friends. If you are visiting from
.. Please let me know you stopped by... and I hope you enjoy a little peek at...

where the topic being shared is the spiritual practice of listening and hearing God. 

I am often amazed at the blessings found in trial. How God uses our weakness to accomplish His purpose by His power. The loss of my hearing, for example, has shown me much about listening... listening to people, and listening to God. I used to believe that listening was something done only through the use of my ears, but as they began to fail me I realized that there were other ways to listen... We hear people through Body language, facial expression, hand gestures, written words. I know if Someone is angry or if they are sad even if I hear not a sound. I can see if someone is telling me that they are uncomfortable or lonely in a group. I relate to them. Because of my hearing loss I do struggle to hear when I'm in a large group. Crowds can be noisy and people like to talk all at once and I have a difficult time trying to follow the conversation. Faint voices blend with the background noise... I miss a few words and I'm lost, frustrated, uncomfortable, and lonely. My solution has been to try to befriend the lonely girl I noticed earlier. I can read her lips if she is talking directly to me. And sometimes we can walk away from the crowd and the background noise to a quieter place where I can hear her well. It reminds me of my desire and effort to hear God. This World is full of loud background noise that sometimes distracts and makes it difficult to hear His voice. But He is speaking...Sometimes He speaks to me through the circumstances around me. They are like body language and facial expressions. Do I listen? Sometimes He speaks to me through people, other members of His body. Like hand gestures. Do I hear? But when I'm still feeling lost, and frustrated, uncomfortable, and lonely, struggling to hear His voice... I need to seek Him out and read The words directly from His lips... God's Holy Word. And together, we can walk away from the crowds and the background noises of this world and go to a quieter place, just me and my Lord and His Word. That is when I hear Him best. Making a deliberate decision to step away to a quiet place with the Lord and His Word is the most rewarding practice of listening I've experienced. And He showed me this through hearing loss. A blessing found in trial.

Authentic Love

I often pray that my children would have an authentic relationship with Christ. That it wouldn't be about ritual because "that's what they've been taught". But that they would truly, deeply, and authentically love Jesus.

This is the song written by Nate (see my previous post) at summer camp, July 2010.
Nate: "The words just came to me as we were sitting outside under the stars for devotions and I looked down at the blades of grass."

All of creation cries
You are the King of Kings
You rule from beyond the skies
You are the Worthy One
You are the Holy One

The sparks from the fire
seek to go higher
they reach for your heavenly throne

From the details on a blade of grass
to the beauty of the stars above
All of creation cries

You are the King of Kings
You rule from beyond the skies
You are the Worthy One
You are the Holy One

All the people
sing of your name
We all wish to bring you praise

The purple of a mountain range
serenity of falling leaves
All of creation cries

You are the King of Kings
You rule from beyond the skies
You are the Worthy One
You are the Holy One

The sparks from the fire
seek to go higher
they reach for your heavenly throne

All the people
sing of your name
We all wish to bring you praise

From the details on a blade of grass
to the beauty of the stars above
All of creation cries

You are the King of Kings
You rule from beyond the skies
You are the Worthy One
You are the Holy One

Glorious, Holy, and Powerful
Glorious, Holy, and Powerful
Glorious, Holy, and Powerful
Glorious, Holy, and Powerful

Music to my ears...

My son Nate loves to sing and hum music as he's going about his day. It always puts a smile on my face to listen. Sometimes he doesn't even realize anyone is listening. But at camp this week, I imagine he was very aware that there were about 175 listeners. This picture was sent to me by his youth leader who said Nate wrote a song this week, his friend Jacob put it to music, and together they performed it. I can't wait to hear it! 

My boys come home from summer camp today. :)